Lab: Characteristics of Life
Learning Goals: (1 point each)
1. Distinguish between classifying specimens as biotic & abiotic versus
living & nonliving.
2. Identify and describe characteristics common to living organisms.
Prelab: (minimum 1 point each)
1. Define the following terms: abiotic, biotic
2. What are traits all living things share? List a minimum of 5.
3. What safety considerations do you predict will be relevant to
observing specimens and determining their characteristics of life?
Use your safety symbols from your reference section of your lab book.
4. Setup the Science Journaling section for this lab to collect data in
a timely manner and be aware of the procedure for this lab.
Science Journaling: (4 points)
Data Collection: Setup a method of collecting data for each lab
station that includes observations of the specimen, whether it is living
or nonliving, and a colored illustration. In addition, have a location to
predict the specimen. Keep in mind the general guidelines for observations
and chart/table creation in science classes.
Procedure:
Rotate to as many stations as possible recording observations,
illustrating, and recording required information of each specimen. As a
team, discuss and record whether the specimen is living or nonliving.
Discuss whether the specimen is considered biotic or abiotic.
Postlab Analysis & Communication:
1. Develop an appropriate procedure for the lab using a numerical list.
Make sure the procedure is specific and yet general enough for each
specimen. (1 point)
2. Create an appropriate data table for the data collected as per the
discussion in class. Make sure to include a title and columns for the
name of the specimen, its characteristics, whether the specimen is
abiotic or biotic, and whether the specimen is living or nonliving.(8
points)
Synthesis Questions: (questions must be in lab book)
1. How does characterizing specimens as living/nonliving differ from
characterizing specimens as biotic/abiotic? (1 point)
2. Were there traits that you know are common to living things that you
were unable to observe? If so, what methods or conditions might allow
you to observe these traits in one of these specimens? (2 points)
3. When a donkey and horse mate, the offspring is a mule. Mules are
sterile (can’t reproduce). Are mules considered living or nonliving?
Defend your answer. (3 points)
4. Viruses have the ability to infect complex organisms in the same way
as bacteria do and often times produce similar results. However,
viruses lack much of the cellular “machinery” for reproduction and
certain metabolic processes. Therefore, viruses cannot reproduce
without the assistance of a host cell. Parasites are another
classification of organism that also live off of a host organism,
either by living within or on the host organism. Based on this, your
definition of life, and another other outside knowledge, do you feel
viruses are living? Explain your reasoning thoroughly. (3 points)
Lab Summary:
1. Briefly summarize the content learned in this lab using a thinking
map. (2 points)
2. List and define key vocabulary for this lab. (1 point)
3. What science skills were used in this lab? (1 point)
4. What safety symbols were relevant in this lab? (1 point)