CONTENTS INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 THE CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING THINGS 10 CHAPTER 2 CELLs TissUES AND ORGANIS CHAPTER 3 NuTRITION AND ENERGY PRODUCTION f CHAPTER 4 EvoLUTION AND THE HiSTORY OF LIFE ON EARTH 45 CHAPTER 5 THE CLASSIFICATION OF LIVING THINGS 58 75 CONCLUSION GosSARY 76 For MORE INFORMATION BILIOGRAPHY 82 83 INDEX
he world is filled with living and nonliving things In most cases fig uring out which of them are alive is easy For instance it s obvious that a fuzzy woodland creature scampering across a field is alive while a rock plunked down in the A middle of that same field is not Science t however doesn't leave such things to casual observation In order for an organism to be is alive it must pass a series of seven tests One test concerns movement Living things are able to get from one location to another or they at least have movement within themselves For an example of the second type of movement consider a tree CA It can t move from one place to another but it does have the ability to move water nutrients and other materials internally Whatever the type of motion it must occur under the organism's own power Being pushed pulled or otherwise forced to move doesn't count A second test is sensitivity Living organisms respond to conditions in their environment using whatever senses they have Plants stretch and grow toward sun light Animals and people flinch when they hear a loud sound or feel a sharp
A Closer Look at Living Things
This volume surveys the parts, characteristics, and classifications of various living things and explores the evolution of life in general.
About This Book
By: Michael Anderson
Illustrated by:
Published by: Rosen Publishing provided by Britannica
