UNIT 1: REVISION

CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING ORGANISMS

1) RESPIRATION: Process by which organisms obtain energy from molecules.

2) FEEDING: Obtention of food in order to get energy.

AUTOTROPHIC Ability to build up all the organic substances from simple inorganic material
Organism which must use ready-made, complex organic compounds as a
HETEROTROPHIC
source of food

3) BREATHING: Gaseous exchange (process by which organisms take oxygen and get rid of carbon
dioxide)

4) EXCRETION: Process by which living organisms get rid of the waste products of metabolism
and any excess water and salts taken in with the diet.

5) REPRODUCTION: The way in which the species is perpetuated.

REPRODUCTION
Perpetuation of Species
SEXUAL ASEXUAL
2 parents needed Only 1 parent
Gametes produced No gametes
(with exchange of genetic material) (without exchange of genetic material)
New variations in the offspring Offspring all identical
Adaptation
Evolution

6) GROWTH: Is an increase in size, or an increase in mass, or both.

7) MOVEMENT: Ability to change location

8) SENSITIVITY (IRRITABILITY): Ability to respond to stimuli. A stimulus is a change in the

external or internal environment of an organism.

KINGDOMS
MONERA PROTISTA FUNGI PLANTAE ANIMALIA
Cell Type Prokariote Eukariote Eukariote Eukariote Eukariote
Cell Wall     NO
Cell Membrane     
Nucleus NO    
Autotrophic Autotrophic
Nutrition Heterotrophic Autotrophic Heterotrophic
Heterotrophic Heterotrophic
Unicellular
N° of Cells Unicellular Unicellular Multicellular Multicellular
Multicellular
Differentiation
NO  
of tissues
-Bacteria -Amoeba -Yeast (unicell) -Flowering -Fish
Examples -Blue-green -Paramecium -Mushroom plants -Birds
algae (multicell) -Ferns
CLASIFICATION

KINGDOM: Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia

PHYLLUM: e.g. Annelids, Arthropods
CLASS: e.g. Fishes, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, Mammals
ORDER: e.g. Roedent, Carnivores, Herbivores, Insectivores
FAMILY
GENUS
SPECIES: Organisms with similar characteristics that can reproduce among themselves giving a
fertile offspring

Binomial Nomenclature: Naming organisms giving the genus first and the species second.
E.g. Homo sapiens

Dichotomous Keys: As dichotomous mean two, you are presented with two branches (options) each
time

Scales Pattern of Scales

REPTILES
Gills Dry Skin
FISH

Fins Cold Blooded (can regulate temp)

Cold Blooded Land
Water Lay Eggs
Lay Eggs
No Scales Feathers
Moist Skin 2 Limbs
AMPHIBI

BIRDS

4 Limbs (legs) 2 Wings

A

Cold Blooded Warm Blooded

Water or Land Land
Lay Eggs Lay Eggs
Hair or fur
MAMMALS

4 limbs
Warm Blooded
Land
Give Birth

ANIMAL AND PLANT CELLS

 CELL WALL: Thick wall of cellulose that protects the cell.

 CELL MEMBRANE: Thin boundary enclosing the cytoplasm.
 CYTOPLASM: Thick liquid with particles in it.
 MITOCHONDRIA: Organelle involved in the process of respiration.
 NUCLEUS: Contains the genetic material (chromosomes) of the cell.
 RIBOSOMES: Involved in the making of proteins.
 CHLOROPLASTS: Contain Chlorophyll, used by plants to make Photosynthesis.
 VACUOLE: Contains water, sugar and salts for the cell.
 GOLGI APPARATUS: Involved in the transportation of material in the cell and destinates which
material should be excreted.
 STARCH GRAINS: Contains starch.
 GLYCOGEN GRAINS: Contains glycogen.

 TISSUES: Many cells together of the same type.

 ORGANS: Many tissues together to perform a certain function.
EXERCICES

1) Which one of the following is found only in plant cells?

a) nucleus
b) cell membrane
c) cellulose wall
d) cytoplasm

2) The drawings show some cells drawn to scale:

a) State 3 differences you can see between cells A and B

b) State 3 differences you can see between cells B and C

3) Draw an animal and a plant cell. Include the main organelles, name them and describe their
functions. Which are the main differences between them?

4) Draw a bacteria cell and name its organelles.

5) Define Tissue and Organ and give an example of each.

6) State to which class each of these organisms belong. Justify your answer in each case.
a) Trout
b) Duck
c) Bear
d) Crocodrile
e) Toad

7) Which are the main characteristics that identify each of the 5 kingdoms?

8) Which kingdoms contain organisms with: a) many cells, b) nuclei in their cells, c) cell walls, d)
chloroplasts?

9) If it was decided to use a 2-kingdom classification (plantae and animalia)., in which kingdom
would you place monera (bacteria), protista and fungi? Suggest reasons for your answer.

10) Put the following terms in order, starting from those containing the largest groups of organisms:
phylum, species, kingdom, genus, order, class.
11) The following figure shows some protista. Using only the features shown in the drawings,
construct a dichotomous key that could be used to identify these organisms.