CHAPTER 1 BIODIVERSITY 生物多样性

Diversity 多样化 of Organisms 生物

1 All living things are known as organisms. Living organisms are made up of human beings 人类, animals 动物
and plants 植物.
2 Biodiversity refers to the variety 各种 of living things that exist 生存 on Earth.
3 The wide 广大 diversity of organisms is due to 由于 the variety of habitats 栖息地 and climates 气候 that
exist on Earth.
4 Animals and plants have unique 独特的 characteristics 特性 that enable 确保 them to live 生活 in their
respective 各自的 habitats.
5 A habitat 栖息地 is the natural 自然 area where an organism lives.生活
6. The habitats of living organisms are diverse 多种多样, as shown in the table.

The diversity of organism

Habitat Plants Animals
Desert 沙漠 Many types of cacti 仙人掌 Camels 骆驼, lizards 蜥蜴, snakes 蛇
Water lilies 睡莲,
Pond 池塘 Fish, frogs 青蛙, Amoeba
water lettuce 水浮莲, lotus 莲花
Tundra 冻土 Mosses 苔藓, lichens 地衣 Polar bears 北极熊, seals 海豹, penguins 企鹅
Sea Seaweeds 海草 Whales, sharks, cuttlefish 乌贼
Soil 泥土 - Ants 蚂蚁, centipedes 蜈蚣, millipedes 马陆
Jungle 森林 Many types of trees Tigers, deers 鹿, monkeys
Swamp 沼泽地 Mangrove trees 红树林 Lizards, shellfish 贝类动物, snake

The Importance 重要性 of Biodiversity

The Importance of Biodiversity
1 Biodiversity is important because it
(a) generates 制造 economy 经济, for example, recreational 休闲 forests are eco-tourism 生态旅游 destinations
目的地
(b) provides 提供 ecological services, for example, mangrove trees 红树 protect the shore 海岸 from strong
waves 巨浪
(c) maintains 保持 environmental balance 环境平衡 through the natural cycles 循环 such as the oxygen cycle,
carbon cycle and water cycle
(d) provides sources 资源 of food 食物
(e) provides resources for education 教育 and sources for medical 医药 and biotechnology 生物科技 fields 领
域
(f) provides a variety of natural resources 自然资源, for example, industrial raw materials 原料 and building 建
筑 materials

Effective 有效的 Biodiversity Management 管理

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1 Malaysia is rich in 丰 富 different species 物 种 of plants and animals. Malaysia is one of the 12 Mega
Biodiversity countries in the world.
2 The biodiversity of Malaysia needs proper 适当的 management for without it, flora 植物 and fauna 动物 will
become extinct.绝种
3. Examples of animals which are threatened 威胁 to extinction 绝种 are the Malayan tiger, Malayan honey
bear and endemic 地方性的 species such as black shrew 鼩鼱(Suncus ater) Suncus ater is the smallest shrew
found in the Mount Kinabalu.
• Endemic species are species that can only be found in certain 某种 places on Earth and nowhere 任何地方
else.

Examples of human activities 活动 that threaten 威胁

the environment

• Unplanned 未策划的 and over development 过度发

展 such as in housing 房屋 projects 计划
• Excessive use 过 度 使 用 of chemicals use such as
pesticide 农 药 , inorganic chemicals and insecticides
杀虫剂
• Untreated 未处理 effluents 废水 from factories and
domestic 家 庭 的 materials disposal 丢 弃 into rivers
causing water pollution 水污染
• Release 释放 of pollutants 污染物 such as toxic 有毒
gases into the atmosphere 大气
• Deforestation 砍伐森林 without replanting 再种
• Overfishing

Effects of human activities on biodiversity

• Loss 消失 of supply 提供 of resources 资源 such as food sources and medical products
• Disturb 打扰 natural cycles such as water cycle, carbon cycle and nitrogen cycle
• Disrupts 干扰 food chain 食物链 and food web 食物网
• Causes extinction 绝种 of animals and plants especially endemic species
• Loss of habitats
• Loss of biodiversity
• Threaten water catchment 蓄水 areas
• Death 死亡 of aquatic 海底 animals because of water pollution by toxic materials

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Steps 步骤 of conservation 守恒 and preservation 保留 of biodiversity

Create awareness 醒觉
Provide a centre for Setting up 设立 reserved about the importance of
the conservation and Forest 森林保留地 biodiversity through
protection 保护 of animal education 教育

Steps to Conserve and

Preserve Biodiversity

Carry out 进 行 Manage 处理 the

replanting 再种植 environment wisely 良
Enforce 执行 laws 法律
好
against activities that
threaten 威胁 nature

Classification 分类 of Living Organisms

1. Living organisms are classified 分类 according to 根据 differences 差别 and similarities 共同点 that they
share.
2. Living organisms are divided into 分为 plant and animal groups.
3. Plants can be divided further into:
(a) flowering plants 开花植物 (b) non-flowering plants 不开花植物
4. Animals are divided further into:
(a) vertebrates 脊椎动物 (b) invertebrates 无脊椎动物

Classification of Animals
1. There are two main groups 组群 of animals:
(a) Vertebrates: Animals in this group have backbones 脊椎骨.
(b) Invertebrates: Animals in this group do not have backbones.

2. The classification of animals is shown in the diagram.

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3. The differences between vertebrates and invertebrates are shown in the table below.

Vertebrates Invertebrates
Have backbones Do not have backbones
Use internal 内 skeletal 骨骼 system 系 Use external 外 skeletal system which comprises of 由组成 hard 坚硬
统 to support 支撑 their bodies 的 outer shells 外壳 or special body fluids to support their bodies

Invertebrates 无脊椎动物
1. 90% of species in the animal kingdom 界 are invertebrates. Animals that do not have backbones are called
invertebrates.
2. Most of the invertebrates have small and simple 简单 body structures 结构 because they do not have a
backbone to support their body weight.
3. Some invertebrates obtain 获得 support from hydrostatic skeleton 静水骨架, that is the fluid 液体 inside
their body.
4. Some invertebrates have exoskeletons 外骨骼.
5. Invertebrates are divided into two groups:
(a) Invertebrates that have jointed 关节 legs
(b) Invertebrates that do not have jointed legs

(I) Invertebrates with jointed legs

1. Their body is divided into many parts called segments 环节.
2. Their body is protected 保护 by a hard 坚硬的 exoskeleton.
3. The following shows some examples of invertebrates with jointed legs:

(a) 3 pairs of jointed legs (b) 4 pairs of jointed legs (c) More than 4 pairs of jointed
Examples: Ant, bee 蜜蜂, Examples: Scorpion 蝎子 and legs Examples: Millipede 马陆 and
grasshopper 蚱蜢 spider 蜘蛛 prawn 虾

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(II) Invertebrates without jointed legs
Animals in this group consists of:

(a) worm-like 像虫的 invertebrates (b) non-worm-like invertebrates

(i) Some of them have segmented body while some (i) Some of them possess 具有 shells 壳 while some
do not. do not.
(ii) Some examples are flatworm 扁虫 and (ii) Some examples are jellyfish 水母, snail 蜗牛
earthworm 蚯蚓. and starfish 海星.

HOT TIPS
-The flatworm has a flat 扁平 and unsegmented body.
-The earthworm has a round 圆 body with lots of segments.
-An earthworm gets support from the pressure 压力 applied by the fluid inside Its body.

Vertebrates
1. Vertebrates are classified based on their common characteristics 共同特征:
(a) Habitats
Where they live naturally
(b) Warm-blooded 温血 (homoiothermic 恒温) or cold-blooded 冷血(poikilothermic 变温)
(c) Ways of movement
This involves the organ 器官 and the mechanism for movement.
(d) The nature 天然性质 of body surface
The body covering 覆盖 of an organism is influenced 受影响 by its environment.
(e) Breathing organ 呼吸器官
Breathing mechanism differs in animals living on land or in water.
(f) Type of fertilisation 受孕
This involves 涉及 external 外 or internal 内 fertilisation.

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2. The classification of vertebrates is shown in the following table.

Vertebrate group Characteristics

• Generally live on land 陆 地 , except for whales 鲸 鱼 and
Mammals 哺乳动物 dolphins 海豚
• Warm-blooded animals 温 血 动 物 (homoeothermic 恒 温 )
This means body temperature is constant 固定 and does not
change 改 变 according to 根 据 surrounding 周 围
temperature.
• Hair or fur 软毛 covers 覆盖 the body
• Use lungs 肺 to breathe 呼吸
• Have complex 复杂的 nervous system 神经系统
• Reproduce by giving birth 生 出 to the young 幼 小 动 物
except platypus 鸭嘴兽 and spiny 多刺的 anteater 食蚁兽 lay
eggs.产蛋
• Have a pair of external ears 外耳
• The females mammals have mammary glands 乳腺 and can
feed 喂养 milk to their babies
• Perform 进 行 internal fertilisation 体 内 受 精 and baby
grows 成长 inside the female’s body
• Some live 生活 on land 陆地 and some in water
Reptiles 爬行动物 • Have dry 干, hard 硬 and scaly 多鳞 skin 皮肤 to reduce the
loss of water to environment
• Cold-blooded animals 冷血动物(poikilothermic 变温) This
means their body temperature changes according to the
surrounding temperature.
• Four legs to crawl 爬行, except for snakes
• Use lungs 肺 to breathe 呼吸
• Reproduce by laying eggs 孵 蛋 with thick and hard 硬
shells 壳
• Perform internal fertilization (the eggs are fertilized in the
female’s body)
Amphibians 两栖动物 • The adult 成 年 lives on land as well as in water but the
young 幼小 lives only in water
• Moist 潮湿 skin
• Cold-blooded animals
• The adult breathe using lungs when on land and via skin
when in water but the young breathe using gills 鳃
• Lay eggs (without shells) in water
• Adult amphibians have 4 limbs 四 肢 to jump on the land
and swim in the water.
• Female amphibians lay eggs 产蛋 in the water. The eggs are
fertilised outside the body (external fertilisation). 体外受孕

Fish • Live only in water

• Streamlined 流线型 body with slimy 粘液的 scales 鳞

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 • Cold-blooded animals
• Swim with the help of fins 鱼鳍 and tails 尾巴
• Breathe through gills 鳃
• Lay eggs without hard shells (seahorses 海 马 and sharks
give birth to the young)
• Perform external fertilisation

Birds
• Live on land
• Feathers 羽毛 cover the body but feet 脚 are covered with
dry scales
• Warm-blooded animals
• Breathe through lungs
• Lay eggs with hard shells
• Perform internal fertilisation

Classification of Plants
1. Plants are divided into two main groups:
(a) Flowering plants 开花植物
(b) Non-flowering plants 不开花植物
2. Diagram below shows the classification of plants

Flowering Plants
1. Flowering plants produce flowers 花朵, which are their reproductive organs 生殖器官.
2. The fertilisation of the ovules 胚珠 in a flower produces seeds 种子 and the ovary 子房 becomes a fruit 果实.
3. The seed contains carbohydrates that supply energy during germination 发芽.
4. The seeds may have one or two seed leaves 种子叶 which are called cotyledons 子叶. Therefore, plants are
grouped based on the number of cotyledons in the seed.
5. Monocotyledonous 单子叶 plants produce seeds with one cotyledon.
6. Dicotyledonous 双子叶 plants produce seeds with two cotyledons.
7. The table below summarizes the differences between these two groups.

Characteristic Monocotyledon Dicotyledon

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 One seed leaf Two seed leaves (cotyledons)
(cotyledon)
Number of
cotyledons

Parallel 平行 veins Network 网状 of veins

Pattern 花样 of
leaf veins 叶脉

Tap root 主根 system

Fibrous root 须根
Small roots branch 分支 come out
system
Many small roots and from main root 主根
size of roots are nearly
the same
Root system

Characteristic Monocotyledon Dicotyledon

Mostly 多数 non-woody
and soft 柔软 stem. Mostly woody 木质的 and hard stem. Vascular bundles in a circle
Vascular bundles 管束 圆圈.
scattered 分散.

Type of stem 茎

Petals of flower come in two, four or five

Petals of flower come in
three

Pattern of flower
petals 花瓣

Examples of plant Orchid, grass 草, maize Rose, durian tree, mango tree,
玉蜀黍, paddy 稻米, Hibiscus 大红花, balsam 凤仙花
coconut tree

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Non-flowering plants
1. Non-flowering plants do not produce flowers. Some of them produce spores 孢子 in order to reproduce.繁殖
2. Non-flowering plants are divided into four groups. There are conifers, mosses, ferns and algae.
3. The characteristics of non-flowering plants are shown in the table.

Non-flcwering plant Characteristics

Conifers 针叶树 Have real 真实的 roots, stems and needlelike 像针的 leaves
Have chlorophyll 叶绿素 to carry out 进行 photosynthesis
Reproduce by means of seeds 种子 found in the cones 球果
Examples: Pine 松树, casuarina 木麻黄, cycad 苏铁类

Mosses 苔藓 • Simple plants with stem and small leaves

• Do not have roots
• Have chlorophyll to carry out photosynthesis
• Live in damp 潮湿 and shady 荫蔽 places such as the sides of a
drain 沟渠
• Reproduce by means of spores that are kept 收藏 in the capsule
lies at the end of the stalks 花梗
• Examples: White moss, club moss

Ferns 羊齿 • Have roots, stems and leaves • Some live in damp and shady places
• Have chlorophyll to carry out photosynthesis
• Reproduce by means of spores that are kept in capsules
• Examples: Bird's nest fern 鸟巢蕨, rabbit's foot fern

Algae 藻类 • Do not have real leaves, shoots or stems

• Mostly live in water

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 • Have chlorophyll to carry out photosynthesis
• Examples: Phytoplankton 浮游植物, seaweed 海草, Spirogyra 螺
旋绿藻

The Concept Map of Living Organisms_

The classification of living organisms is shown in the diagram below.

Dichotomous Keys 二分键

1 The dichotomous key is a method used to classify 分类 organisms.
2 The dichotomous key is an identification 确认 key formed from a pair of opposing 相反的 characteristics.特
征
3 The characteristics used must be opposite, clear 清楚 and easy 容易 to identify 确认, for example, colour or
body size cannot be used.
4 An example of classification of organism using dichotomous key is shown in Figure 1.1.

Dichotomy keys
la Animal Go to number 2
lb Plant Go to number 6
2a Have legs Go to number 3
2b Do not have legs Go to number 5
3a 3 pairs of legs Go to number 4
3b more than 3 pairs of legs Spider
4a Have wings Butterfly
4b Do not have wings Ant
5a Have shell Snail
5b Do not have shell Earthworm
6a Have seeds Go to number 7
6b Do not have seeds Pine trees
7a Flowering plant Bougainvillea
7b Non-flowering plant Fern
Figure 1.1 An example of classification of organism using dichotomy keys

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