Common Characteristics of All Living Organisms
All living organisms share characteristics that help to define what life is. Taken together, the characteristics can be viewed as factors that provide for the survival of the individual organism and for the survival of the species.
-
Identification
-
According to cartage.org, living organisms have these characteristics in common: organization, homeostasis, adaptation, reproduction and heredity, growth and development, energy acquisition and release, detection and response to stimuli and interactions.
Effects
-
One of the effects of these common characteristics is growth. Organisms grow and develop when matter is incorporated into the living tissue.
-
Adaptation
-
Organisms adapt to their surroundings to survive. When the environment changes, the physical characteristics and coping mechanisms of a species change as well.
Homeostasis
-
Living organisms are able to regulate their internal environment to maintain a range of conditions within which internal processes can function. They are able to regulate such factors as body temperature, concentration of water and oxygen levels.
Reproduction
-
There are two types of reproduction: asexual and sexual. In asexual reproduction a portion of the organism separates to form a separate organism; in the case of a single-celled organism, the cell divides, resulting in two smaller individuals that then grow to full size. Sexual reproduction requires that an egg and either pollen or sperm come together to form a new organism.
-
