IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook

Chapter 1
Characteristics and
classification of
living organisms
The stuff you need to know in this chapter:
1.1 CHARACTERISTICS LIVING THINGS
Core:
• Describe the characteristics of living organisms by defining the terms movement, respiration, sensitivity, growth,
reproduction, excretion, nutrition
Extended:
• Define the terms movement, respiration, sensitivity, growth, excretion and nutrition – supplement

1.2 CONCEPT AND USE OF A CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

Core:
• State that organisms can be classified into groups by the features that they share
• Define species as a group of organisms that can reproduce to produce fertile offspring
• Define and describe the binomial system of naming species as an internationally agreed system in which the scientific
name of an organism in made up of two parts showing the genus and species
Extended:
• Explain that classification systems aim to reflect evolutionary relationships
• Explain that classification is traditionally based on studies of morphology and anatomy
• Explain that the sequence of bases in DNA and of amino acids in proteins are used as a more accurate means of
classification
• Explain that organisms which share a more recent ancestor (are more closely related) have base sequences of DNA
that are more similar than those that share only a distant ancestor

© A. Nixon 2016

For videos, worksheets and other resources go to ScienceSauceOnline.com 1

IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
1.3 FEATURES OF ORGANISMS
Core:
• List the features in the cells of all living organisms, limited to cytoplasm, cell membrane and DNA as genetic material
• List the main features used to place animals and plants into the appropriate kingdoms
• List the main features used to place organisms into groups within the animal kingdom, limited to: vertebrates –
mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Arthropods – myriapods, insects, arachnids, crustaceans
Extended:
• List the features in the cells of all living organisms limited to ribosomes for protein synthesis and enzymes involved in
respiration
• List the main features used to place all organisms into one of the five kingdoms: animal, plant, fungus, prokaryote,
protoctist
• List the main features used to place organisms into groups within the plant kingdom, limited to ferns and flowering
plants (dicotyledons and monocotyledons)
• List the features of viruses, limited to protein coat and genetic material

1.4 DICHOTOMOUS KEYS

Core:
• Construct and use simple dichotomous keys based on easily identifiable features

© A. Nixon 2016

For videos, worksheets and other resources go to ScienceSauceOnline.com 2

IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
1.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING THINGS
1. Complete the table to list the seven processes that all living organisms carry out. For each process, give an
example of each for the two different organisms:

Life Process Definition

Movement

Respiration

Sensitivity

Growth

Reproduction

Excretion

Nutrition

© A. Nixon 2016

For videos, worksheets and other resources go to ScienceSauceOnline.com 3

IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
2. Give an example of how the organisms carry out these processes. Some of them have been done for you.

Life Process Tiger Apple tree

Movement ∑

Respiration

Uses hormones to sense

Sensitivity direction of gravity so
roots grow downwards.

Growth

Uses sexual reproduction

Reproduction to produce offspring
known as “cubs”.

Excretion

Nutrition

© A. Nixon 2016

For videos, worksheets and other resources go to ScienceSauceOnline.com 4

IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
1.2 CONCEPT AND USE OF A CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
1. Define the word “species”

2. List the five kingdoms of life

i) ____________________
ii) ____________________
iii) ____________________
iv) ____________________
v) ____________________

3. Look at the table below and complete the blanks. You should be able to figure out most of the answers
based on information that is already in the table

Coconut Palm Black-backed Common

Rank Human Gray Wolf
Tree jackal chimpanzee
Domain Eukarya Eukarya
Kingdom Animals
Phylum Chordata Cycadophyta
Class Mammalia Mammalia Cycadopsida Mammalia
Order Primates Carnivora Arecales Carnivora
Family Homonidae Canidae Arecaceae Canidae
Genus Homo Canis Cocos Pan
Species sapien lupus nucifera mesomelas troglodytes

4. Which two parts of the ranking system are used to give an organism’s binomial name?

© A. Nixon 2016

For videos, worksheets and other resources go to ScienceSauceOnline.com 5

IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
5. Give the binomial names for each of the species mentioned in the ranking table above:

Human: _______________________
Coconut palm: _______________________
Common chimpanzee: _______________________
Grey wolf: _______________________
Black-backed jackal: _______________________
6(A). We classify organisms based which other organisms they are related to. For example, chimpanzees are
quite closely related to humans, and lizards are related to geckos. This is because they share the same
ancestors.

Look at the picture the rock hyrax (sometimes called a “dassie”). Put a circle around the organisms that you
think might be closely related to it, and put a box around the organisms that you think are least closely
related to it:

elephant
rabbit
lizard
rat
mouse
© A. Nixon 2016

For videos, worksheets and other resources go to ScienceSauceOnline.com 6

IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
6(B). Of all the animals on that list, the dassie is most closely related to the:

______________ (Ask your teacher)

We can’t just group animals together based on how they look. Using the dassie as an example, explain why
using anatomy and morphology alone for classification can be a problem:

7. Explain why using DNA is a better way to classify organisms:

© A. Nixon 2016

For videos, worksheets and other resources go to ScienceSauceOnline.com 7

IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
1.3 FEATURES OF ORGANISMS
1. Draw an animal cell and include the following labels:

nucleus, cell membrane, cytoplasm, rough endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes

2. Some organelles are only present in certain types of cell, but some are present in all cells. Tick the correct
boxes below:
Present in all Present only
Feature
cells in some cells
Nucleus ☐ ☐
DNA as genetic material ☐ ☐
Cell membrane ☐ ☐
Cell wall ☐ ☐
Cytoplasm ☐ ☐
Ribosomes ☐ ☐
Chloroplasts ☐ ☐
Enzymes ☐ ☐

© A. Nixon 2016

For videos, worksheets and other resources go to ScienceSauceOnline.com 8

IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
3. List the features that define each of the five kingdoms:

__________________________

Animals > __________________________

__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________ < Plants
__________________________
__________________________

Fungi > __________________________

__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________ < Prokaryotes
__________________________
__________________________

Protoctists > __________________________

__________________________
__________________________

4. Use ticks and crosses to show the features present in different groups of vertebrate animals:

Lay eggs Have lungs

Endo- Ecto- Have dry Have wet Have a Have Eggs laid in
Group with hard throughout
thermic thermic scales scales placenta feathers water
shells lifecycle
Mammals ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Fish ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Birds ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Amphibians ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Reptiles ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐

© A. Nixon 2016

For videos, worksheets and other resources go to ScienceSauceOnline.com 9

IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
5. Complete the sentences below about arthropods:

Arthropods are a group of invertebrates, which means they have no

_______________. Arthropods all have _______________ legs
and a hard exo-_______________. There are four main groups of
them.

i) _______________ have bodies in segments, and each segmented

has jointed legs attached to it.
ii) _______________ have four pairs or jointed legs, and they breathe
through gills called _______________ _______________.
iii) _______________ have bodies divided into three sections:
_______________, _______________ and abdomen. They have
_______________ pairs of wings.
iv) _______________ breathe through gills and have more than four
pairs of jointed legs.

© A. Nixon 2016

For videos, worksheets and other resources go to ScienceSauceOnline.com 10

IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
6. Four major groups of plants are:

• Flowering plants
• Ferns
• Mosses
• Conifers

Complete the table to summarise the features of flowering plants and ferns

Flowering Ferns
plants
Have leaves and chloroplasts ☐ ☐

Have roots ☐ ☐

Have stems ☐ ☐

Have leaves ☐ ☐
Produce flowers ☐ ☐

Reproduce using spores ☐ ☐

Make offspring by sexual reproduction ☐ ☐

Make offspring by asexual reproduction ☐ ☐

7. Compare and contrast monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants

© A. Nixon 2016

For videos, worksheets and other resources go to ScienceSauceOnline.com 11

IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
1.4 DICHOTOMOUS KEYS
1. Use the key to identify the four birds. Write the name of each type underneath the pictures.

1. Has a speckled breast “Babbler”

Has un-speckled breast GO TO 2
2. Has a short beak “Weaver”
Has a long beak GO TO 3
3. Has a straight beak “Kingfisher”
Has a curved beak “Hornbill”

2. Construct a branching key diagram for the following stationary items:

pencil, pen, eraser, pencil sharpener, paper, correction fluid, post-it note

© A. Nixon 2016

For videos, worksheets and other resources go to ScienceSauceOnline.com 12

IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook

© A. Nixon 2016

For videos, worksheets and other resources go to ScienceSauceOnline.com 13

IGCSE Biology (O610) Workbook
3. Construct a number key for the following organisms.

earthworm, snake, centipede, crab, lobster, spider

© A. Nixon 2016

For videos, worksheets and other resources go to ScienceSauceOnline.com 14