Life FunctionsUnit 1: Unity and Diversity

among living things

Life functions that characterize living organisms:

1. Nutrition- all the activities by which an organism obtains materials from its environment.

a. Ingestion- taking in of foodb. Digestion- breakdown of food moleculesc. Egestion- removal of food materials

Watch a larger protist ingest a smaller (and different kind of ) protist. The protist has these cilia hairs that circulate clockwise to create a suction, pulling the smaller protist in its mouth pore. This protist will place the food into a vacuole and work on digesting it with enzymes that will break it down. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geBxRLFlhqw&feature=player_embedded

2. Transport- absorption and circulation of materials throughout the organism

The following video shows transport inside of a plant called Elodea. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFtzs_cUddI&feature=player_embedded

3. Respiration- the chemical processes by which organisms obtain energy from food

4. Excretion- removal of waste products

The skin, kidneys and lungs are organs that excrete wastes generated from your cells. The large intestine gets rid of materials your body was never able to use from food.

5. Synthesis- building larger molecules from smaller ones

The video below shows two single sugars joining to make a bigger sugar.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyDnnD3fMaU&feature=player_embedded

6. Regulation- control and coordination of various activities of an organismThis video shows your nervous system sending chemical messages to each other to coordinate with other party of the body.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNaFnRKwpFk&feature=player_embedded

7. Growth- using products of synthesis to increase cell size and/or # of cells of an organism

This bacteria is creating more cells, this is exponential growth. The video is running exceptionally fast and growth depends on food and resource availability. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_K7qBPaQrw&feature=player_embedded

8. Reproduction- production of new individuals to maintain the species

Reproduction is not essential for the individual to survive, but the species. We will later study both asexual and sexual reproduction.(This photo shows sperms cells trying to penetrate the female egg.)

METABOLISM- all the chemical processes by which an organism carries on life functions

What changes your metabolism?

HOMEOSTASIS- maintaining a stable internal environmentFind out how sweat cools you off and how to REALLY keep yourself cool on hot days or while working out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=03IGeeSfTbI