1.

3 Features of organisms

Common Cell Structures

 The cells of all living organisms contain the following:
o Cytoplasm
o Cell membrane
o DNA as genetic material (either found in the nucleus or free in the
cytoplasm)

Cell Composition & Structure

 When viewed under an electron microscope (at a much higher

magnification), all cells also contain the following:
o Ribosomes for protein synthesis
o Enzymes for respiration (in many, but not all types of cells, found in
mitochondria

The Five Kingdoms

 The first division of living things in the classification system is to put them
into one of five kingdoms. They are:
o Animals
o Plants
o Fungi
o Protoctists
o Prokaryotes (without nuclei)

Features of Viruses
 Viruses are not part of any classification system as they are not considered
living things
 They do not carry out the seven life processes for themselves, instead
they take over a host cell’s metabolic pathways in order to make multiple
copies of themselves
 Virus structure is simply genetic material (RNA or DNA) inside a protein
coat

Mr. Ramy El-gebaly (IGCSE biology teacher) 1 Tel. 00201023726242

  Main features of all animals:
o they are multicellular
o their cells contain a nucleus but no cell walls or chloroplasts
o they feed on organic substances made by other living things
 Main features of all plants:
o they are multicellular
o their cells contain a nucleus, chloroplasts and cellulose cell walls
o they all feed by photosynthesis

Fungi, Protoctists & Prokaryotes

 Main features of all fungi (e.g. moulds, mushrooms, yeast)
o usually multicellular / yeast (single-celled)
o main fungus body is called mycelium, made up a branching network
of threads called hyphae.
o cells have nuclei and cell walls not made from cellulose made from
chitin
o no chlorophyll / do not photosynthesize but feed by
saprophytic (feed on dead or decaying material) or parasitic (on live
material) nutrition

 Main features of all Protoctists (e.g. Amoeba, Paramecium,

Plasmodium that causes malaria / algea)
o most are unicellular (single celled) but some are multicellular
o all have a nucleus, some may have cell walls and chloroplasts
o meaning some protoctists photosynthesise and some feed on
organic substances made by other living things

 Main features of all Prokaryotes (bacteria)

o often unicellular
o cells have cell walls (not made of cellulose) and cytoplasm but no
nucleus or mitochondria or chloroplast
o loops of DNA inside their cytoplasm (plasmid)

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 1.4 Classifying Animals
Vertebrates

 All vertebrates have a backbone. There are 5 classes of vertebrates:

Class Main features Examples

Mammals 1. Fur/hair on skin Horse
2. Have a placenta /dog
3. Young feed on milk from mammary glands /squirrel/
4. External ears (pinna) visible human/
5. Endothermic (warm blooded) cow
Birds 1. Skin covered in feathers Parrot/
2. Have 2 legs and 2 wings instead of forelimbs blue tit/
3. Lay eggs with hard shells on land eagle/
4. Have a beak swan
5. Endothermic (warm blooded)
Reptiles 1. Dry, fixed scales on skin Snake/
2. Lay eggs with rubbery shells on land turtle/
3. Cold blooded iguana/
crocodile
Amphibians 1. Smooth, moist slimy skin Frog/
2. Adults usually live on land (so have lungs), newt/
larvae live in water (so have gills) toad
3. Lay eggs without shells in water
4. Cold blooded
Fish 1. Loose, wet scales on skin Flounder/
2. Gills for breathing grouper/
3. Lay eggs without shells in water shark/
4. Cold blooded tuna

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 1.5 Classifying Animals

 Invertebrates are animals that do not have a backbone or vertebral column.

 Arthropods

1. From the largest of the groups in the animal kingdom.

(containing largest number of species)
2. Has segmented body.
3. External skeleton (exoskeleton)
4. Jointed legs.

Class Main features Examples

Crustaceans 1. Body is divided into 2 parts cephalothorax Crabs/
(head-thorax) and abdomen. woodlice/
2. Two pairs of antennae. / Compound eyes shrimps/
3. Between 5 and 20 pairs of legs. crayfish/
4. Breathe using gills. lobsters
Myriapods 1. Long body/many segments centipedes/
2. Total number of legs depends upon how millipedes
many segments there are.
3. Centipedes have 1 pair of legs on each
segment / fast-moving carnivores.
4. Millipedes have 2 pairs of legs on each
segment / slow-moving herbivores.
5. One pair of antennae
Insects 1. Body is divided into 3 parts: head, thorax beetles/
and abdomen. flies/
2. Three pairs of jointed legs on the thorax. locusts/
3. (some) Two pairs of wings. / Compound cockroaches
eyes. /dragonflies
4. One pair of antennae on the head. /butterflies/
5. Breathe through holes in the sides of the moths/bees/
thorax and abdomen called spiracles. wasps/
6. Covered by a waterproof cuticle that stops ladybird
them losing too much water / can fly
Arachnids 1. Body is divided into 2 parts cephalothorax scorpions/
(head-thorax) and abdomen. ticks/
2. Four pairs of jointed legs. mites/
3. No wings spiders
4. No antennae.
5. Have several pairs of simple eyes.
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arachnid crustacean

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1.6 Classifying Plants

Ferns & Flowering Plants
 Are multicellular.
 Green in colour – chloroplasts contain green pigment (chlorophyll) –
absorbs light for photosynthesis.
 Cell wall made of cellulose.
 Have transport systems = xylem vessels (carry water and mineral ions)

= phloem tubes (transport dissolved substances

such as sugars)

Ferns:

 Have strong stems, roots and leaves.

 Leaves have a waxy layer (cuticle) helps to reduce water loss.
 Have leaves called fronds.
 Do not produce flowers but instead reproduce by spores on the underside
of fronds

Mr. Ramy El-gebaly (IGCSE biology teacher) 19 Tel. 00201023726242

Flowering plants:
 Reproduce by means of flowers which make seeds
 Seeds are produced inside the ovary found at the base of the flower.
 Stem = transport water from the soil up to the leaves and food from the
leaves to other parts of the plant.
 Roots = absorb water and mineral ions from the soil and fix the plant in the
soil.
 Can be divided into two groups – monocotyledons and dicotyledons

(one) Monocotyledons (two) Dicotyledons

Leaves Narrow leaves/Parallel Broad with a network of
veins branching veins.
Flowers Multiplies of 3 Multiplies of 4 or 5

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 1.7 Dichotomous key

 are used to identify organisms based on a series of questions about their

features.
 Dichotomous means ‘branching into two’ and it leads the user through to
the name of the organism by giving two descriptions at a time and asking
them to choose.
 Each choice leads the user onto another two descriptions.

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more than 4 stamens

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jagged = toothed

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stamen

sepals

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wings
scales
scales

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1 2 4
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only 3
1/2/4
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4 petals

6 stamens

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distinct = separate

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Next session on 18th of September, I will answer related questions paper 4 and 6

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