The 7 Characteristics of Life

1. Living things are composed of cells

• Whether uni or multi cellular, there must be at least one cell in the equation for there to be life.

2. Living things have different levels of organization

• Humans, for example, have organ systems made of organs made of tissues made of cells.

3. Living things use energy

4. Living things are influenced by their environment

• For example, trees drop their leaves in response the the climate change that fall brings. 

5. Living things grow

•  Multi-cellular organisms grow as their cells multiply. Bacterial cells grow until they divide.

6. Living things reproduce

• For a species to survive, they must reproduce (looking at you, pandas). This can be asexual or sexual.

7. Living things adapt to their environment

• Certain species of insects look like leaves or sticks in order to take advantage of living in an environment with lots of trees.