The seven life processes, also known as the characteristics of life or the functions of living organisms, are essential processes that all living things perform. Here they are with examples for your eighth-grade biology class:
Movement: Living organisms can move on their own or show internal movement. For example, animals can walk, run, or fly, and even plants show movement when their leaves turn to face the sun.
Respiration: This is the process of getting energy from food. For instance, when humans breathe in oxygen and use it to break down glucose in their cells to release energy. This energy is captured in a molecule called ATP (Adenosine TriPhosphate) it is manufactured in the mitochondria in both plants and animal cells.
Sensitivity (Response to Stimuli): Living things can respond to changes in their environment. If you touch a hot surface and quickly pull your hand away, that's your body's sensitivity to heat.
Growth: Living organisms can grow by increasing in size or number of cells. A baby growing into an adult is an example of growth.
Reproduction: Living things can make new individuals of the same kind. Trees producing seeds that can grow into new trees is a form of reproduction.
Excretion: This is the removal of waste products from the body. When you go to the bathroom to get rid of waste, that's an example of excretion.
Nutrition: Living organisms need to get food and nutrients for energy and growth. For example, plants use sunlight to make their own food through photosynthesis.
These seven life processes help us understand what makes something alive. All living things, whether they're animals, plants, or microscopic organisms, carry out these processes to maintain life.
The text provided aligns with various science standards in New York and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) related to biology and life sciences. Here's how it aligns with each set of standards:
New York State Middle School Science Standards:
The text aligns with the following middle school science standard:
Standard 4: The Living Environment - Key Idea 1: Living things are both similar to and different from each other and from nonliving things. The text discusses the characteristics of life processes that all living things perform, highlighting the similarities and differences between living organisms and nonliving things.
New York State High School Biology Standards:
The text aligns with the following high school biology standard:
Standard 1: Analysis, Inquiry, and Design - Key Idea 1: The central purpose of scientific inquiry is to develop explanations of natural phenomena in a continuing and creative process. The text explains fundamental concepts related to the characteristics of life processes, which are essential for understanding natural phenomena in biology.
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS):
The text aligns with several NGSS performance expectations and disciplinary core ideas:
MS-LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes - MS-LS1-1: The text addresses the concept of life processes, such as respiration and nutrition, which are part of understanding the structure and function of living organisms.
HS-LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes - HS-LS1-1: The text discusses the seven life processes, which are fundamental to understanding the structure and function of organisms at the high school level.
HS-LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes - HS-LS1-2: The text covers concepts related to growth, reproduction, and sensitivity to environmental changes, which are important for understanding organisms at the high school level.
NYS Next Generation Living Environment Standards:
The text aligns with the following Next Generation Living Environment standard:
Standard LE.1: Scientific Inquiry - Key Idea 1: The text highlights essential life processes and their significance in scientific inquiry in the context of biology.
In summary, the text aligns with various middle school, high school, and NGSS standards related to biology and life sciences, as it discusses fundamental concepts regarding the characteristics of life processes and their importance in understanding living organisms and natural phenomena.