Biology Topic 1: Characteristics of living organisas

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the characteristics of living organisms including nutrition, respiration, excretion, and sensitivity based on lecture notes.

Nutrition

Living organisms must take in or produce organic nutrients to get energy, grow and repaire themselves.

Plant Nutrition

Plants use sunlight, carbon dioxide and water for produce glucose ($C_6H_{12}O_6$).

Animal Nutrition

Animals eat carbohydrates, proteins, and fats for energy and tissue repair.

Respiration

The chemical reactions inside cells that releases energy stored in nutrient molecules (like glucose).

Breathing vs. Respiration

Breathing and respiration are not the same!

Excretion

The removal of metabolic waste products, toxic materials, and substance in excess of requirements from the body.

Animal Excretion

Animals excrete carbon dioxide from lungs and urea (and excess salts) via the kidneys in urine.

Plant Excretion

Excrete oxygen which is a waste product of photosynthesis, through stomata in their leaves.

Egestion

Pooping (egestion) is not excretion because feces consists of undigested food that passed straight through the gut without entering body cells.

Sensitivity

The ability to sense changes in the environment (stimuli) and produce an appropiates response.

Animal Sensitivity

Animals use nerve impulses and hormones to move away from danger (e.g. touching a hot surface and pulling your hand back).

Plant Sensitivity

Plants use plant hormones like auxins to grow toward the light.