Characteristics+of+Living+Things

What are the criteria for determining whether a thing is living or nonliving?

Activity One 1. Work with your partner to complete the "Characteristics of Living Things" worksheet given to you by your teacher.

2. Click [|here] to find out how well you and your partner completed the activity.

3. Still not sure? Click [|here] to gain another perspective. 4. OK, then, what are the characteristics common to all living things? (The two previous websites should lead you to this answer. List at least 7 characteristics of living things.)

5. Are dead things living or nonliving, according to your criteria? Click [|here] for a little help.



6. Maybe we should change our [|nomenclature]. Let's use the terms [|biotic] and [|abiotic] instead. Now what will you do with the dead stuff?

Don't worry, SpongeBob, we'll figure it out! Activity Two What about viruses: biotic or abiotic? Use your textbook, pages 544 and 545, or a search engine to answer the following questions: Extra credit **For Friday, August 21, 2009**: Find a current article on Swine Flu (H1N1) and present your information to the class. You should have a copy of the article (for the teacher) and a cogent synopsis of the article that you will present to the class.
 * [[image:germ4c.gif width="28" height="33"]] What are the characteristics of viruses?
 * How do viruses differ from bacteria? Are bacteria biotic or abiotic?
 * Describe a viroid. How does it differ from a virus? From a bacterium?
 * Why do you think it is so difficult to find an antiviral drug?
 * Prions are truly interesting critters. What makes them distinct from all other infectious particles?
 * What diseases are prions involved in? Why are these diseases usually fatal?

Activity Three
 * Log on to [|this site], complete the quest, and print your answers to turn in.**