Characteristics of living organismsSpec 1.1
All living organisms share the eight characteristics below, although they show them in different ways.
| Characteristic | What it means |
|---|---|
| Nutrition | Organisms require nutrition: they take in materials for energy, growth and repair. |
| Respiration | Organisms respire: they release energy from food in their living cells. |
| Excretion | Organisms excrete their waste: they remove the waste products of their chemical reactions. |
| Response | Organisms respond to their surroundings: they detect changes (stimuli) and react to them. |
| Movement | Organisms move: they change position or move parts of their body. |
| Control of internal conditions | Organisms control their internal conditions, keeping them steady (for example temperature and water content). |
| Reproduction | Organisms reproduce: they produce new individuals of the same kind. |
| Growth and development | Organisms grow and develop: they increase in size and change over time. |
Plants and animals show all of these in different ways. A plant moves by growing towards light, rather than moving from place to place. An animal gets its nutrition by eating, but a plant makes its own food by photosynthesis.
Common mistake:
Excretion is not the same as egestion. Excretion is removing waste made by the cells (for example carbon dioxide). Egestion is removing undigested food.
Exam tip:
When asked why something is a living organism, link each characteristic to a real example, such as 'it respires to release energy'. Do not just list the words.