Chapter 1 : Characteristics and classification of living organisms

Movement

Action by an organism or part of an organism that causes a change in position or place

Respiration

Chemical reactions in the body that break down nutrient molecules and release energy for metabolism

Sensitivity

The ability to detect and respond to the changes in an internal or external environment (stimuli)

Growth

A permanent increase in size and dry mass

Reproduction

A process that makes more of the same organisms

Nutrition

Taking in of materials for energy, growth and development

Classification pyramid (most general to most specific)

Domain

Kingdom

Phylum

Class

Order

Family

Genus

Species

Binomial naming system

Genus + species name

Pros of binomial naming system:

• universally accepted

• Simple

• We can see what animals are closely related by looking at the genus of the animal

Kingdoms

• animals

• Plants

• Fungi

• Prokaryote (Bacteria)

• Protoctists

Characteristics in animal kingdom

• multicellular

• Nucleus and other membrane bound organelles (but no cell wall)

• No chloroplasts

• Heterotrophic nutrition (consumes other organisms)

• Moves with the aid of cillia/flagella/contractile muscles

Characteristics of plant kingdom

• multicellular

• Nucleus and other membrane bound organelles (including chloroplasts and cellulose cell wall)

• All contain chlorophyll

• Autotrophic nutrition (uses energy source to turn small molecules into food)

• Stores food as starch

Characteristics of fungi kingdom

• unicellular/multicellular

• Nucleus and membrane bound organelles (sometimes chloroplasts and chitin cell walls)

• No methods for locomotion

• Saprophytic nutrition (digesting organisms outside the body then absorbing the digested food)

• Most store food as glycogen

Characteristics of Prokaryote (bacteria) kingdom

• unicellular

• No nucleus (prokaryotic)

• Naked circular DNA (bacterial chromosome)

• Nutrients absorbed/produced during photosynthesis

Characteristics of Protoctists kingdom

• mainly unicellular

• Dustbin kingdom (any organism that doesn’t fit in other categories go here)

Terms

• heterotroph: consumes other organism

• Autotroph: uses energy source to turn small molecules into food

• Saprotroph: digests other organisms outside the body then absorb the digested food

Types of Vertebrates (animals with a backbone/spine)

• Mammals

• Birds

• Fish

• Amphibians

• Reptiles

Characteristics of mammals

• hace hair/fur

• Gives birth to live young

• Breathes through lungs

• Warm blooded

• Four chambered heart

Characteristics of birds

• has feathers

• Lays hard shelled eggs

• Four chambered heart

• Breathes through lungs

• Warm blooded

Characteristics of fish

• have scales

• Lays eggs without shells in water

• Breathes through gills

• Cold blooded

Characteristic of Reptiles

• have dry scales

• Lays eggs without soft shells

• Breathes with lungs

• Cold blooded

Characteristics of amphibians

• soft, moist skin

• Lays eggs without shells in water

• Larvae have gills, adult have lungs

• Cold blooded

• Padded feet

Types of Arthropods (A group of Invertebrates)

• Insects

• Arachnids

• Crustaceans

• Myriapods

Characteristics of Arthropods (type of invertebrates)

• waterproof exoskeleton

• Segmented bodies

• Jointed limbs

Characteristics of insects

• 6 legs

• 0,1 or 2 pairs of wings

• 1 pair of antennae

• Compound eyes

• Body - head, thorax, abdomen

• Covered by hard cuticle that prevents them from drying out

Characteristics of arachnids

• 8 legs

• No wings

• No antennae

• Many single eyes

• 2 body segments

Characteristics of crustaceans

• 10 legs

• No wings

• 2 pairs of antennae

• Compound eyes

• 2 body segments

Characteristics of myriapods

• 10 or more legs

• No wings

• Simple eyes

• Many body segments

Types of plant

• flowering

• Non-flowering

Characteristics of flowering okabrs

• grows as monocotyledons or dicotyledons

• Reproduction through seeds made in flowers

• Seeds produced by fruiTs

Characteristics of non-flowering plants

Examples:

Mosses

Ferns:

• complex leaves called fronds

• Leaves produce spores

• Spores dispersed by winds

• Vascular plant

• Reproduction through spores not seeds

4 DNA sequences

• adenine

• Thymine

• Guanine

• Cytosine

Characteristics of monocotyledons

• parallel veins

• Narrow and long leaves

• Scattered vascular bundles

• Fibrous roots

• Flowers in multiples of 3

Characteristics of dicotyledons

• network of veins

• Broad and short leaves

• Vascular bundles arranged in a ring in the stem

• Tap root

• Flowers in multiples of 4/5