Question

response
the characteristics of life
the firefly and the fire in figure 1 are both giving off energy. but this does not mean
they are both alive. describing what makes something alive is not easy. no single
characteristic is enough to describe an organism (living thing) as a living thing. fire
and fireflies both give off energy, but a firefly has more than just this one
characteristic that makes it alive. all organisms on earth share 6 specific
characteristics with other living organisms.
maintaining internal balance
1 characteristic that all living organisms share is that they are able to stay alive. they
keep things relatively stable on the inside even if the conditions around them are
changing. humans, for example, maintain a stable internal body temperature. if you
go outside when the air temperature is below freezing, your body doesn’t freeze.
instead, your body shivers to warm you up and maintain a stable internal
temperature. human cells must also maintain a ph of approximately 7.4 in order to
continue functioning.
figure 1

1. a. summarize key ideas in your own words. make sure you use scientific vocabulary. 1.1

this reading is about...

b. give an example that supports your summary. make sure you use scientific vocabulary.
an example from the reading that supports my summary is...

1. using what you have learned in class, list one more characteristic of living organisms. 1.3

one more characteristic of a living organism is that...

1. explain the characteristic you listed in question 7 using an example of a living organism. 1.3

an organism that has this characteristic is...

i know this organism is

Explanation:

Question 6A

The reading focuses on the characteristics of life. It explains that while both fire and fireflies release energy, only organisms (like fireflies) have multiple traits defining life. One key trait is maintaining internal balance (homeostasis), e.g., humans regulate body temperature and cell pH.

To support the summary (about life’s characteristics, including homeostasis), the reading’s example of human temperature regulation (shivering in cold to maintain ~37°C) or cell pH (~7.4) works. These show organisms maintaining internal balance, a life trait.

A core life characteristic (beyond those in the text) is reproduction (organisms produce offspring, sexually or asexually) or growth and development (cells grow/divide, organisms mature). Using class knowledge, reproduction is a standard trait: organisms pass on genetic material to create new life.

Answer:

This reading is about the characteristics of living organisms, noting that a single trait (like energy release) isn’t enough to define life. It highlights homeostasis (maintaining internal stability) as a key trait, with examples like humans regulating body temperature and cell pH.

Question 6B