Scientists review and ask questions about the results of other scientists' work. Life Science Characteristics of organisms Organisms have basic needs. Each animal has different structures that serve different functions in growth and survival. Life cycles of organisms 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, animals survive and reproduce, and others die or move to new locations. All organisms cause changes in the environment where they live. Some of these changes are detrimental to the organism or other organisms, whereas others are beneficial.