A. UNDERSTANDING THE DEFINITION OF LIVING
THINGS (ORGANISMS)
Living Organism are biological structures that have
specific characteristics, so can be said to be "alive". These
characteristics make Living Organism able to adapt to environmental changes. The
biological structures of living Organism is complex and well-organized. There
are 5 levels of biological component that form living organism bodies, starting
from the smallest structural units called cells.
Then the cells with the same function (together) form a tissue. A collection of this tissues will form the organ, and a collection of organs will
form organ systems. Furthermore, the
organ system will form one organism.
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| LIVING THINGS (ORGANISMS) |
B. CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING THINGS
(ORGANISMS)
It is easy to distinguish the living beings with
inanimate objects by identifying their characteristics. 9 Characteristics that
distinguishes living beings with inanimate objects are:
1. Breathing
(Respiration)
Breathing is the process of gas exchange from the
body and its environment. Breathing is an exchange with the entry of oxygen
(from the environment into the body) and release Carbon dioxide (from the body
to the environment). Oxygen is the main component for a living creature body to
perform the activity, it is because oxygen is the fuel for generating energy
from the metabolism.
There are a variety of respiratory systems in living
things, depend on their groups . Humans breathe with lungs, as well as most of
the animals that live on land. While most of the animals that live in the sea
to breathe using an organ called gills. While the plants breathing organs
called stomata. There are also groups of living things using skin breathe. Respiratory
organs in living things different and very varied.
2. Movement
(Motion)
Movement (Motion) is a change in the position of an
equilibrium. Living creatures are definitely doing the movement although some
of them (plants) moving very slowly. To do this, one required locomotor (tool f
motion). Legs, wings, fins, body, and the like are examples of locomotor.
Diverse forms of movement, for example, people move to walk using legs, fish
swim with flippers, plants move to follow food sources and light.
3. Growth and
Development
Growth is a process of increasing size, volume, and
mass of living things as a result of the increase and enlargement of cells in
the body. Growth is permanent and can not be returned (is irreversible). Growth
can be measured and can be expressed in units of quantitatively by seeing the
changes that occur in the living body. Examples of growth is human height, it
is gradually increasing, at the high old time remains the same, but humans look
shorter because of changes in their bone condition in maintaining posture.
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| GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT |
The development is a process of change towards
maturity that are qualitative. The development can not be measured in numbers,
but can be assessed by using the five senses. Examples of human development is
that by the time the baby can only cry and then gradually began to be able to
speak, or plants that are beginning to have fruit and flowers.
Grow and development is one of the characteristics of
living things. Over time human beings will continue to grow and develop until
it reaches its limit and eventually die.
4. Require
Food (Nutrition)
Food is a substance that is consumed by living
organisms to gain nutrients and energy that the body needs. Food can be of
animal origin, such as meat or plants, for example fruit. Many types of plants
can produce food through photosynthesis. Food is needed to produce energy in
order to perform the activity, fulfill the nutrient for the growth and
development, as well as replacing damaged of the cells by a variety of
processes in the body. Living creatures consume foods according to their
structure and needs of the body. For example, humans eat meat and plants, the
goats eat grass, lions eat other animals. Organ system to process food called
digestive system consists of the digestive organs.
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| NUTRITION |
5.
Reproduction
Reproduce (reproduction) is the efforts made living
creatures to maintains its kind. Every living thing has a way to the
reproduction process. In animals there are three ways :
- Childbirth or birth (viviparous), for example humans.
- Spawning (oviparous), ex : snakes.
- Combined (ovoviviparous), the embryo continues to grow in eggs, and the eggs hatch while it is still inside the parents body, then the embryo is issued by way of childbirth. Examples shark.
While the plants reproduce through two ways :
- The Reproduction of generative plants, the mating process through pollination and fertilization. This process brings the male sex cells to the female sex cells with pollination.
- The Reproduction of vegetative plants, the breeding process is from “unmarried way”, this process can take place naturally or artificially.
6. Adaptation
Adaptation is the ability of living organisms to
adapt to the environment. Well adaptability of Living beings will form a body,
organ function, and behavior to suit its surroundings. Examples of adaptation
is a polar bear will adjust to the cold polar, while the bears will adapt to the
state of the forest. There are three kinds of adaptation :
- Morphological adaptations, an adaptation of the shape and structure of the body to the environment.
- Physiology Adaptation, an adaptation of the body functions and organs to the environment.
- Behavior Adaptation, an adaptation of the nature and actions of living organisms to their environment.
7. Issue of
wastes
As we have stated above that living Organisms need
food to meet their needs. Upon entry into the body, the food is processed in
such a way through a process called metabolism. Substances that are not needed
in the body will be removed through the process of removing waste products. This
Process is done through respiration, excretion (in humans is called urination),
defecation, water vapor and droplets of water (in plants), etc.
8. Sensitivity
(irritability)
Sensitive to stimulation means living things respond
to the changes around them. Stimulation is meant here can be light, sound,
touch, taste, and more. Humans and animals have a sense organ to feel the
stimulation, and plants which are not have a sense organ, show sensitivity in
different ways. An example is human who can feel the cold and heat, or plants
that grow toward the sun.
9. Body
Regulation
Regulation is the process of setting the body from
the inside by a variety of chemical and biological structure to be able to
function properly. In humans, regulations governed by the nervous system and
the hormonal system. But other parts of the body also plays an important role
so that the body works perfectly.
