OCTOBER 24, 2023

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ICATS Science Contest Notes by Mariyam Malik 6E

Classification of plants and animals notes

Mariyam Malik 6E
Multicellular Animals and Plants consist of different
types of cells organized in a hierarchy as tissues,
organs, and systems.
Cells Smallest unit of life. Cells in many multicellular
plants and animals are specialized so they can share the
processes of life.
Plants Examples of specialized cells in plants include:
 Palisade Leaf Cells These are found towards the tops
of leaves and are packed with green chloroplasts of
plants in which photosynthesis occurs.
Photosynthesis A chemical reaction that occurs in
the chloroplasts of plants in which the energy in light
is stored in glucose.
 Root hair Cells Cells containing a hair-like structure
that pokes into the soil to absorb more water and
nutrients.
Animals Examples of specialized cells in animals
include:
 Ovum – egg cell Contains half of an organism’s
genetic information – DNA – which will join with the
sperm during fertilization.
 Sperm Transfers genes from male body during sexual
reproduction.
 Ciliated Cells They have tiny hairs – cilia – on their
surface that beat in a rhythmical pattern. For example,
they move mucus from the airway to the mouth to
 swallow. They also move on ovum through the
female reproductive system.
 Red Blood Cells Carry oxygen to body tissues that
need it.
Tissues A group of similar cells in the same place with
the same function is a tissue.
Plants In plants, dermal tissues cover the leaves, fruits,
flowers, roots, and stems of plants. Dermal tissues stop
the plant from losing too much water.
Animals Examples of tissues in animals include muscle
tissue and nerve tissue.
 Muscle tissue Made of muscle cells that can contract
and relax to move parts of the body.
 Nerve tissue Made of nerves, found in the brain and
spinal cord, and the network of nerves that spreads
throughout the body. It sends electrical signals to
control and coordinate actions.
Organs A group of tissues in the same place with the
same function is an organ.
Plants Roots are plant organs. They keep plants
securely in the ground and are covered with root hair
cells which absorb water and nutrients from the soil.
Other plant organs are leaves, stems, and flowers.
Animals The heart is an organ made from muscle and
nerve tissue and pumps blood around the body. Other
examples of animal organs include the liver, brain,
lungs, stomach, intestines, kidneys, bladder, and skin.
Organ systems Two or more organs with the same
function is an organ system.
Plants Plants have two organ systems.
 The shoot organ system in a plant is made from
leaves, stems, buds, fruits, and flowers.
 The root organ system of most plants consists of all
the parts that are underground.
Animals There are 11 organ systems in the human body
that each have a different function. Here are some
examples:
Organ System Main Organs Function
Circulatory Heart, Veins, Transports
Arteries substances in the
blood around the
body.
Respiratory Lungs Takes in oxygen,
and removes
carbon dioxide.
Digestive Stomach and Breaks down
intestines food, and absorbs
nutrients.
Reproductive Uterus, Vagina. Creates
Penis, Testes offsprings.
Key points
. Cells are the smallest units of life and the building
blocks for all organisms.
. Each component of a cell has its own function.
. Animal and plant cells differ and have similarities.
. Nucleus, Cell membrane, Cytoplasm, and
Mitochondria are four cell components that are
found in both plant and animal cells.
What are Cells?
All life on Earth is made from cells. Without cells, there
can be no life. Almost all cells are so small that you
need a microscope to see them. A microscope is a
scientific instrument used to see tiny objects, such as
cells, magnified several hundred times or more.
Some organisms like bacteria, are made of only one
cell. Bacteria are living organisms that can only be
seen with a microscope. Some bacteria cause disease,
others are useful. These are unicellular organisms.
Unicellular organisms are made from one cell only,
like bacteria. Others, like trees and blue whales, are
made from millions or even billions of cells. These are
multicellular organisms. These often have different
types of cells, each with a different function. These are
specialized cells. Specialized cells are cells that have
a particular adaptation to allow them to complete a
specific function.
What makes up an animal cell?
Each component in the animal cell has a particular
function. Animal cells often have an irregular shape.

The four key components of most animal cells are:

 Nucleus – This contains the genetic material (DNA) of
the organism and controls the cell’s activities.
 Cytoplasm – The liquid that makes up most of the
cell in which chemical reactions happen. This is
mainly water.
 Cell membrane – A flexible outer layer that
surrounds the cell and controls which substances can
pass into and out from it.
 Mitochondria – Tiny parts of cells floating in the
cytoplasm where energy is released from glucose
from food. The mitochondria, found in the cell
cytoplasm are where most respiration happens.
Respiration is a chemical reaction that occurs in
the mitochondria of cells in which glucose and
oxygen react to produce carbon dioxide and water,
releasing energy.
What makes up a plant cell?
Plant cells often have a regular shape. They have the
same cell components as animal cells: a nucleus, cell
membrane, cytoplasm and mitochondria.
They also have these extra three as well:
. Cell wall A tough outer layer of the cell, which
contains cellulose to provide strength and support to the
plant.
. Vacuole A space inside the cytoplasm that contains a
watery liquid called cell sap. It keeps the sell firm.
. Chloroplasts Structures found in the cells of green
parts of plants only (leaves and stems) which contain a
green pigment called chlorophyll in which
photosynthesis occurs.
What do animal and plant cells feel like?
Animal cells feel squishy or malleable. Plant cells feel
firm or rigid.
What part of plant cells gives them their crunch?
The cell wall gives plants their crunch.
Red Blood Cells are missing in the Nucleus. Cytoplasm
is made from water. There are over 200 types of
specialized cells in the human body. The largest cell in
the human body is Ova.
Ecology Definitions
Ecology is the study of the interaction between
organisms and their environment.
Term Definition
Biodiversity The variety of different
species present in the
community of an
ecosystem.
Biome Regions of the planet are
characterized by their
climate and contain
distinctive communities of
plants and animals.
Community All the organisms present in
an ecosystem.
Ecosystem All the organisms living in
a particular area and the
non-living components that
the organisms interact with.
Habitat The place where an
organism lives.
Population All the organisms of one
species found in a particular
area.
Species A group of organisms
capable of breading with
each other to produce fertile
offspring.
Feeding Relationships in Ecosystems
All organisms require am energy supply for cell
activities such as growth and cell division. Organisms
release energy from their food by the process of
respiration. In most ecosystems on the planet the
ultimate source of energy is the sun. Producers make
their own food using light energy from the Sun. Green
plants produce their own food by carrying our
photosynthesis using light energy from our Sun.
Consumers cannot make their own food and obtain their
energy by eating other organisms. The feeding
relationships that exist in an ecosystem can be shown
by a food chain.

The arrows represent the flow of energy and mean “gets

eaten by”.
The feeding relationships in most ecosystems are more
complicated than simple food chains. Producers are
consumed by a range of different animals and these
primary consumers may be eaten by a range of different
secondary consumers.