The characteristics of organisms Organisms have basic needs. Each plant or animal has different structures that serve different functions in growth, survival, and reproduction. Life cycles of organisms Plants and animals have life cycles that include being born, developing into adults, reproducing, and eventually dying. Plants and animals closely resemble their parents. Many characteristics of an organism are inherited from the parents of the organism, but other characteristics result from an individual's interactions with the environment.
All animals depend on plants.
Some animals eat plants for food. Other animals eat animals that eat the plants. An organism's patterns of behavior are related to the nature of that organism's environment, including the kinds and numbers of other organisms present, the availability of food and resources, and the physical characteristics of the environment. When the environment changes, some plants and animals survive and reproduce, and others die or move to new locations. All organisms cause changes in the environment where they live.