S/1B/2B 1.

1: Understand that living Organisms share the following

Characteristics:

CHARACTERISTICS DESCRIPTION

MOVEMENT An action by an organism or part of an organism causing a

change of position or place. In animal by the action of muscle
and slow growth movement in plants.

RESPIRATION The chemical reactions that breaks down of Glucose

molecules in living cells to release energy.

SENSITIVITY The ability to detect or sense changes (stimuli) in their

surroundings and to make appropriate responses.

GROWTH A permanent increase in size and dry mass (growth) and an

increase in complexity (development)

REPRODUCTION The processes that make new offspring of the same kind of
species.

EXCRETION The removal of toxic materials and the waste products of

metabolism from organisms.

NUTRITION The taking in of materials for energy, growth and

development. Plant synthesis their own food animal feed on
other organisms.

CONTROL All living organisms control internal conditions in a steady

state.

Reference:
S/1B/2B 1.2 :Describe the common features shown by eukaryotic organisms:
plants, animals, fungi and protoctists

∑ Eukaryotes are organisms that have a membrane-bound nucleus and

organelles inside their cells.
∑ They can be unicellular (only one cell) or multicellular (more than one cell).

GROUPS OF ORGANISMS

PLANTS

∑ Multicellular
∑ Cells contain:Nucleus,mitochondria,cellmemrane,chloroplasts,ribosome,cytoplasm,
and a large, central cell vacuole.
∑ Cell not contain:Centriole.
∑ Cell wall made-up of cellulose.
∑ Mode of nutrition by photosynthesis.
∑ Food store: store carbohydrates as starch or sucrose.
∑ Eg: herbaceous legumes (peas), cereals (wheat).

s
ANIMALS

∑ Multicellular.
∑ Cells contain: Nucleus, mitochondria, cellmemrane, ribosome, and
cytoplasm.
∑ Cell not contain: cell walls, chloroplasts and vacuole.
∑ Mode of nutrition Feed on organic substances made by other living
organism (Heterotrophic).
∑ Food store: Store carbohydrates as glycogen.
∑ Eg: humans (mammals), butterflies (insects).
 FUNGI

∑ Most are multicellular with a mycelium of thread-like structures called hyphae

which have many nuclei but some are single-celled (eg yeast is single celled)
∑ Cells contain: Nuclei mitochondria, cell membrane, ribosome, cytoplasm, and a
vacuole.
∑ Cell not contain: Chloroplast.
∑ Cell wall made from chitin
∑ Mode of nutrition Feed by saprotrophic (on dead or decaying material) or
parasitic (on live material) nutrition by secreting extracellular enzymes onto the food
∑ Food store May store carbohydrates as glycogen
∑ E.g. moulds, mushrooms, yeast
PROTOCTISTS

∑ Most are unicellular

∑ All have a nucleus; some may have cell walls and chloroplasts, meaning some
protoctists photosynthesize like plants and some feed on organic substances made
by other living things like animals
∑ E.g. Amoeba (like an animal), Chlorella (like a plant)

S/1B/2B 1.3 Describe the common features shown by Prokaryotic organisms such
as bacteria.

Prokaryotes do not have a membrane-bound nucleus or membrane-bound

organelles inside their cells.

Bacteria.
 Unicellular and microscopic.

Cell contain: Ribosome,cytoplasm,cell membrane and plasmid.

Cell not contain: Nucleus,Mitochondria and chloroplast.

Cell wall made up of peptidoglycon.

Mode of nutrition: Some can carry out photosynthesis but they mainly feed off
other organisms, either dead or alive.

E.g. bacteria (Lactobacillus bulgaricus (rod-shaped bacterium used in yoghurt

production), Pneumococcus (spherical bacterium that causes pneumonia).

S/1B/2B Specification Point 1.4

∑ Understand the term pathogen and know that pathogens may include Fungi,
Bacteria, Protoctists or Viruses

∑ An organism that causes disease are known as pathogen.

∑ Fungi, protoctists, bacteria and viruses can all be pathogens

Group of organism. Disease Disease causing organism

Fungi. Athlete’s foot. Tinea.
Protoctists. Malaria. Plasmodium.
Bacteria. Pneumonia. Pneumococcus..
Viruses. COVID-19. Corona virus.

AIDS. HIV.
VIRUSES

∑ Much smaller than bacteria

∑ They are not made from cells and are not considered living organisms as they
do not carry out all the life processes
∑ Parasitic – reproduce inside host cells by hijacking the cell’s mechanisms to make
multiple copies and then bursts out of the cell to spread throughout the host
∑ Able to infect every type of living cell
∑ The envelope is used to gain entry into host cells
∑ The capsid is a protein coat used to protect the genetic information
∑ The DNA or RNA contains the code for building new viruses
∑ E.g. Tobacco Mosaic Virus, Influenza virus

Reference
Character PLANTS ANIMAL FUNGI PROTISTA BACTERIA VIRUS

Single cell None. None. Some. All. All. None.

(yeast)
Multicellular All. All. Some. None. None. None
(Mushroom)
Mitochondria All All All All None None

Chloroplast All None None Some. None None

(Chlorella)
Ribosome All All All All All None

Cytoplasm All All All All All None

Cell All All All All All None

membrane

Nucleus All All All All None None

Photosynthetic All None None Some. Some. None

(Chlorella) (cyanobacteria)
Food store as All None None Some. Some. None
starch (Chlorella)
Food store None All All Some. Some. None
as glycogen (Amoeba)
Cell wall All None All Some. All None
(Cellulose (Chitin) (Chlorella- (Peptidoglycon)
Cellulose)

Pathogenic None None Some. Some. Some. All

(Tinea) (Plasmodium). (Pneumococcus.). (HIV)

Disease None None Athlete’s Malaria. Pneumonia. AIDS.

foot.