Unit 5: Living beings                                                         1   2   3   4   5

1. Characteristics of living beings

All living beings have several characteristics in common:

   - They have a similar chemical composition.

      The living matter has unit of composition.

   - They are made up by structural units called cells.

      They have unit of organisation.

   - They carry out the vital functions: nutrition, interaction

      and reproduction. They have unit of function.

1.1. Look at the following pictures:

a. Mark which of them represent living beings and which inert beings.

b. Is an inert being the same that a dead being? Why? Are there any examples among the pictures where there is a clear difference between them?

1.2. Look at the pictures:

a. Match each characteristic of living beings with its meaning:

1. The living matter has unit of composition

2. They have unit of organisation

3. They take energy and matter from the outside to stay themselves alive

4. They increase their size and mature

5. They expel useless substances 

6. They react to stimuli

7. They produce new living beings similar to them

b. Now listen and indicate what characteristic is described: