ITS ALIVE!!

Don't worry; I'm not talking about a monster or scary creature coming after you! I'm
talking about LIFE SCIENCE.
Life Science is the study of living things, or what we scientists call, organisms. Life
Science studies span from mold to fleas and snakes to seaweed. Did you ever realize
there were so many LIVING organisms around you?! It is truly amazing.
We are going to look at life science broken into 4 different sections:
1. The Structure of Life
2. Human Biology
3. Life Cycles
4. Ecosystems
I know that's a lot of big words but don't worry, we are going to take it one step at a
time! Let's take a look at that first section,

The Structure of Life.

The structure of life focuses on the unique and special characteristics of each living
organismEVER! While all organisms have their own special set of features there are
many similarities among them. For instance, every living thing is made of one or more
CELLS. A cell is the basic unit of structure and function of life.
There are many different types of cells and they can look VERY different from one
another. A way to help us categorize cells is to find if they contain structures enclosed by
a MEMBRANE.
Cells that DO NOT have a membrane are called prokaryotic (PRO-care-ee-AH-tic) cells. If
the cells DO have a membrane are called eukaryotic (YOU-care-ee-AH-tic) cells.
Every living thing is made up of cells but each organism contains a unique number of
cells. If an organism has only one cell it is called unicellular. Bacteria are an example of
unicellular organisms.
If the organism contains more than one cell it is called multicellular, which just means it
is made of many cells. You and I are multicellular organisms!
Every cell has many different parts to it, each of them with a special job. Lets take a look
inside an

animal cell to see what is inside and what each part is called.

Inside the cell is a gel-like fluid called CYTOPLASM which takes up most of the room.
Scattered throughout the cytoplasm are many smaller parts called ORGANELLES and
they are in charge of doing all the things needed to keep the cell alive and operating.
In the center of the cell is the NUCLEUS. This is the home to the cells CHROMOSOMES
which are the made of DNA and contain all the information that the cell needs to direct
all the activities inside the cell.

In the animal cell there are fluid-filled structures we call VACULOES. They are responsible
for holding different substances that the cell needs. Kind of like our stomach that holds
food, or our veins that hold our blood.
The cell has to have a way to turn food into energy and that is where the MITOCHONDRIA
come in. The mitochondria transform the energy from food into a form of energy the cell
can use to perform its many tasks.
The cell needs many different products, like proteins and lipids, in order to survive. The
ENDOPLAMIC RETICULUM and RIBOSOMES are responsible for creating these products
and the GOLGI BODIES are responsible for carrying them around to different parts of the
cell.

Now lets take a look at a plant cell. A plant cell has all the structures that an animal
cell does but they have a few things that an animal cell does not.
Unlike an animal cell a plant cell has a CELL WALL that gives the cell shape and extra
support.
The plant cell makes food using CLOROPLASTS which contain the green pigment found in
plants called CHOLOROPHYL. The process the chloroplasts go through to make food is
called PHOTOSYNTESIS.

Every cell whether animal or plant, has very important features and parts that make it
function. Each part is just as important as the other!
When big groups of cells get together to do a really big job they are called TISSUE. In our
bodies we have muscle tissue and nerve tissue that work together to move the different
parts of our body!
Plants have tissue too! Bark is a tissue protective covering for woody plants!
When there is a really REALLY big job to do, groups of tissue will come together to form
ORGANS to do a very specific job. Our stomach is an organ made up of several different
types of tissue. Plants have organs too! Roots, stems and leaves are three organs you
can find in almost any plant.
Organs do not usually work alone. They work together in an ORGAN SYSTEM to do a
specific job that may take lots of steps to complete. One organ system in our bodies is
the digestive system. The stomach, liver and intestines work together to digest and
process the food you eat each day!

HUMAN BIOLOGY

This is a great place to start talking about

.
Our bodies are AMAZING things! There are trillions of cells organized into tissues, organs
and organ systems that keep our bodies functioning right. Our body has ELEVEN major
organ systems responsible for helping it function properly day to day.

Here is a quick overview of each system:

http://www.oustormcrowd.com/human-anatomy-diagram-organs-with-function-details/of-human-bone-cells-diagram/

Now that you have a little taste of human biology lets move onto

LIFE CYCLES.

All living organisms from animals to plants must reproduce to make more of their own
kind. Once the new organism is formed it usually grows in a predictable way. The stages
in the life of the new organism are known as a LIFE CYCLE.
Here are some examples of life cycles for different organisms.

http://www.slideshare.net/mykidsrgr8/frog-life-cycle-power-point

http://paulmirocha.com/projects/butterflies-any-questions/#.VxL_3DArLIU

http://www.slideshare.net/MMoiraWhitehouse/parts-of-a-plant-power-point

Life science is the study of living things but that is not limited to just the living things
themselves. Life science also includes the study of the environment and non-living things
that surround the living things. An ECOSYSTEM is all the organisms that live in
an area together with the nonliving factors of the environment. There several types of
ecosystems.
Forest Ecosystems
Forest ecosystems are classified according to their climate type as tropical, temperate or
boreal. In the tropics, rainforest ecosystems contain more diverse flora and fauna than
ecosystems in any other region on earth. In temperate zones, forest ecosystems may be
deciduous, coniferous or oftentimes a mixture of both, in which some trees shed their
leaves each fall, while others remain evergreen year-round.
Grassland Ecosystems
Grassland ecosystems are typically found in tropical or temperate regions, although they
can exist in colder areas as well, as is the case with the well-known Siberian steppe.
Trees are sparse or nonexistent, but flowers may be interspersed with the grasses.
Grasslands provide an ideal environment for grazing animals.
Desert Ecosystems
The common defining feature among desert ecosystems is low precipitation, generally
less than 25 centimeters (10 inches) per year. Not all deserts are hot -- desert
ecosystems can exist from the tropics to the arctic, but regardless of latitude, deserts are
often windy. Some deserts contain sand dunes, while others feature mostly rock.
Vegetation is sparse or nonexistent, and any animal species, such as insects, reptiles and
birds, must be highly adapted to the dry conditions.
Tundra Ecosystems
In the snow-covered, windswept, treeless tundra, the soil is frozen year-round, a
condition known as permafrost. The term tundra most commonly denotes polar areas,
but at lower latitudes, tundra-like communities known as alpine tundra may be found at
high elevations.
Freshwater Ecosystems

Freshwater ecosystems can be found in streams, rivers, springs, ponds, lakes, bogs and
freshwater swamps. Freshwater ecosystems are home to more than just fish: algae,
plankton, insects, amphibians and underwater plants also inhabit them.
Marine Ecosystems
Marine ecosystems are the most abundant types of ecosystems in the word. They
encompass not only the ocean floor and surface but also tidal zones, estuaries, salt
marshes and saltwater swamps, mangroves and coral reefs.
Ecosystems are a part of larger regions characterized as having a distinct climate and
specific types of plant and animal life. These larger regions are called BIOMES. There
can be several types of ecosystems within one biome.

http://ww
w.mtchs.org/BIO/text/chapter34/concept34.3.html

That is just the beginning of all the things that we will study in LIFE SCIENCE.

If you want to know more about life science you can visit these websites:
National Geographic: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
Science 4 Us: http://www.science4us.com/elementary-life-science/
Bill Nye The Science Guy: http://billnye.com/

References
Holt Mcdougal.,. Sciencesaurus Student Handbook Grades 6-8. Holt Mcdougal, 2013.
Print.
http://classroom.synonym.com/types-environmental-ecosystems-8640.html