DIVERSITY OF LIVING THINGS : BIODIVERSITY

Concept of Living

Living Things :

All living things are characterised by the ability to perform the following functions called Life processes :
nutrition, respiration, excretion, irritability, movement, growth and reproduction. E. g. Birds,
Earthworm, Goat, Mango tree.

Non-living Things

Non-living things do not carry out the Life processes.

DIFFERENCE

Living Things Non-living Things

Move Do not move

Respire Do not respire

Respond/irritability Do not respond

Feed Do not feed

Excrete Do not excrete

Grow Do not grow

Reproduce Do not reproduce

IDENTIFYING LIVING THINGS USING KEYS

Identification Key: This is a systemic information /feature /data used to identify organisms.

TYPES OF KEYS

* The Numbered Key

* The Dichotomous Key

Numbered Keys: are useful for the identification of large numbers of organisms in one exercise.

Dichotomous Keys : are useful for the identification of few organisms in one exercise.

NUMBERED KEY
..
1) Wings absent......... go to (2)

Wings present......... go to (3)

2) Eyes absent......... Protura

Eyes present............. Silver fish

3) A pair of wings present..... go to (4)

Two pairs of wings present..... go to (5)

4) Mouthparts modified for piercing....... Mosquito, Blowfly, Housefly

Mouthparts modified for biting..................Bat, Blackfly, Cranefly

5) Forewings and hindwings unequal size.......Wasp, Bee, Sawfly

Forewings leathery, hindwings membranous...... Grasshopper, Locust, Cricket.

THE DICHOTOMOUS KEY

EXPLANATION OF CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING ORGANISMS

- Movement /Locomotion: Living things change the position of the whole body/ parts of the body; from
one place to another; in search of food /shelter/mates etc.
..
- Excretion : Involves the removal /getting rid of waste products; of cell metabolism; metabolic wastes
are poisonous if allowed to accumulate;

- Respiration :the breakdown of food substance; by aerobic /anaerobic means/processes; to release

energy needed for all processes of life.

- Reproduction : Is the ability of living organisms to produce (new) individuals; of their own kind; this
ensures the continuity of the species of an organism;

- Irritability /Sensitivity /Response : is the response /reaction of organism; towards changes in the
environment; to ensure survival.

- Nutrition /feeding : is the process involved in obtaining /manufacturing food; can be

autotrophic/heterotrophic ;and utilizing it for growth /maintenance /life processes.

- Growth /development : is the irreversible increase in size /weight of an organism; which leads to
complexity /maturation.

- Competition : is the ability of organisms to struggle for all necessity of life; to survive in their
environment.

- Adaptation : is the ability of organisms to adjust; to changes in environment; for survival.

- Life span /Death : all living organisms have definite period of existence; all organisms die.

DIFFERENCES

Animals Plants

Heterotrophic mode of Autotrophic mode of

nutrition /do not nutrition /manufacture
manufacture their own their own food from
food /depend on simple inorganic
already made food materials using the
energy from the sun.

Sense organs present Sense organs absent

/have complex nervous /level of coordination is
system which is less than in animals due
responsible for their to absence of complex
ability to exhibit nervous system
complex behaviour.

..
Move freely from place Are fixed/ sedentary/do
to place /Locomotion; not move from place to
move with the whole place; move only parts
body. of the body;
root/stem/leaves/

show only growth

movement.

Small temporary Cells possess large and

vacuoles permanent vacuoles

Cells have no Cells possess

chloroplast /No chloroplast that contain
chlorophyll/ chlorophyll /chloroplast
/Chlorophyll present
Chloroplast absent

Stores excess Stores excess

carbohydrates as carbohydrates as
glycogen starch.

Release carbon (IV) Release oxygen into the

oxide into the atmosphere
atmosphere

Growth is limited Growth is unlimited

/definite; growth occurs /indefinite; growth is
in all parts of the body. apical /terminal

Nutrition is holozoic Nutrition is holophytic

Respond is quickly to Respond slowly to

stimuli /Response is Stimuli/Response very
fast/short termed. slowly to
stimuli/Response very
slowly /long termed.

Show intercalary Show apical growth

growth

Celloluse cell wall Have cell walls made up

absent. of Celloluse.

Have special excretory No special excretory

..
organs. organs

Respiratory organs No respiratory organs

present

VIRUSES

This is another group of organisms which Scientists consider to be mid-way between living and Non-
living things.

Viruses are not cells,but particles (virions).

A virus consists of a central core of nucleic acid, (either RNA or DNA but not both) enclosed by a
protein coat.

CHARACTERISTICS OF VIRUSES

* Live inside the cells of plants, animals and bacteria as parasites

*Basically made up of proteins and either DNA/RNA

*Can reproduce only inside a living cell

* Much smaller than bacteria and hence microscopic

*do not possess nucleus,cytoplasm and cell membrane

* can crystallized like chemicals .

* have variety of shapes E. g. rods, spiral, sphere, hexagonal (rod-like), tadpole etc.

*cause diseases e. g. Smallpox, Yellow fever, Mumps, Influenza,Chicken pox,Poliomyelitis, Rabies,

Shingles, Measles, Dengue fever, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Hepatitis, Common
colds, Sore throat, Swollen shoot diseases of Cocoa, Cassava mosaic diseases, Newcastle disease,
Tobacco mosaic etc.

FEATURES OF VIRUSES SHARE IN COMMON WITH LIVING THINGS

*Ability to multiply /reproduce within their living host

*Possession of a layer of protein enclosing nucleic acid RNA or DNA;

* Contain DNA/RNA/nucleic acid;

* Has protoplasm /protein coat /membrane;

..
* Ability to feed on the cell contents of the host.

FEATURES OF VIRUSES SHARE IN COMMON WITH NON LIVING THINGS

* Inability to grow on their own /appear as crystals;

* Absence of cytoplasm, nucleus, cell wall, and organelles

* Ability to be crystallized like salt and stored in that form

* Absence of respiration.

* Do not move.

In humans,vaccines provide protection against viral infection or diseases.

REASONS WHY VIRUSES CANNOT BE CLASSIFIED AS LIVING ORGANISMS

- They cannot live on their own ;

- They do not have nucleus or cytoplasm or cell membrane ;

- They are particles;

- They crystallize like chemicals.

SHAPES OF VIRUSES

* Spherical shape

* Spiral

* Hexagonal

* Tadpole shape

* Cylindrical shape

* Rod forms

MODE OF LIFE OF VIRUSES

- Live as parasite within their living host.

- Kill the cell they infect.

- Stimulate cells to grow uncontrollably to produce cancer.

- Possess replicating nucleic acid but lack ability to convert energy.

..
- Virulent is a virus that prevent the host cell from reproducing normally.

- Retroviruses are viruses which synthesis DNA from RNA.

- The best known retrovirus is the HIV virus.

- Viruses which possess RNA are known as rhinoviruses.

- Anti-retroviral drug is a drug that prevent Retroviruses from producing DNA from RNA.

SOME VIRAL DISEASES

-In humans and animals :

* Lassa fever;

* Flu/ Influenza

* Fowl pox

* Swine Fever /Swine flu /Bovine flu;

* Avian influenza /Bird flu

* Zika;

* Yellow fever

* Measles

* Chicken pox

* Shingles

* Infective Hepatitis ;

* Sore throat

* Ebola disease;

* Cow pox

* Rabies

* Poliomyelitis

* Small pox

* AIDS

..
* Mumps

* Dengue fever

* Common colds

*Newcastle diseases

* Rotavirus

-COMMON PLANT VIRAL DISEASES

* Bean mosaic diseases;

* Groundnut rosette;

* Maize streak;

* Cucumber mosaic;

* Peach yellow ;

* Leaf mosaic disease of tobacco

* Potato leaf mosaic

* Tomato leaf mosaic

* Bundry top disease of banana plant.

* Swollen shoot disease of cocoa.

A BACTERIOPHAGE VIRUS

It is tadpole shape consisting of a broad 'head' and a narrow 'tail'.

Head is shaped like a hexagonal prism and tail is cylindrical

The protein coat is semi-transparent

The head contain a strand of DNA which is coiled up to form a compact mass.

The tail consist of a hollow cylinder and a number of processes which bear delicate fibres made up of
protein-like material.

The protein fibres extend beyond the tail.

DIAGRAM OF BACTERIOPHAGE VIRUS.

..
REPRODUCTION IN BACTERIOPHAGE VIRUS

* It involves either lytic/ lysogenic cycles.

- LYTIC CYCLE :

* This is the infectious stage. The virus attaches to the bacterium.

* injects its genetic material into the bacterium by entering its host's enzymes and protein building
capacity.

* the virus then reproduce and repackage.

* making about 1000 new copies before it burst and destroy the bacterium.

- LYSOGENIC CYCLE.

* Here the injected genetic material integrate itself into its host's DNA.

* passively replicate within it to be inherited by the bacteria daughter cells.

BACTERIA

Are one cell organism visible only through a microscope.

It has no membrane -bound organelles such as nucleus, mitochondria, or chloroplasts.

Their ribosomes are smaller than those of eukaryotes.

Bacteria are often classified by the shape of their cell.

..
The three most common shapes /structure are sphere, rod and spiral.

E. g. Coccus /spherical -a round bacteria.

Spirillus - a spiral shaped bacteria.

Rod/bacillus-a rod shaped bacteria that exist as individual cells /short chains.

Bacteria cells are classified by their arrangement though some live singly, others are typically grouped
together.

* Diplo-:refers to an arrangement in which cells are paired. E. g. Diplococci - rod paired

* Staphylo-:is an arrangement characterised by grape-like clusters e. g. Staphylococci-grape-like rod.

* Strepto-:is an arrangement characterised by long chain. e. g. Streptococci -long chain rod-like.

The study of bacteria is known as bacteriology.

THE CELL AND BACTERIA STRUCTURE

The cell wall determine the shape of the bacteria cell.

The cell wall is tough and resiliant shell that keeps the bacteria cell from drying out and to resist harsh
environmental factors.

Many species of bacterium move by means of flagella, that projects through the cell.

Most bacteria has a single coiled DNA.

Surrounding the DNA in the bacteria cell is cytoplasm, a watery fluid that is rich in protein and other
chemical substances.

Its cell membrane in the wall holds together constituent of the cytoplasm.

Most activities are carried out within the cytoplasm including nutrition, reproduction and manufacture
of protein.

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF BACTERIUM

* it digest cellulose in the large intestine of some herbivores.

* act as decomposers/ they bring about decay.

* they bring about denitrification.

* it causes diseases in living things.

..
* it causes fermentation e. g. Yoghurt, butter, vinegar.

* they are responsible for food spoilage.

* improve soil fertility.

* used in the production of some antibiotics /medicine, tanning of leathers.

DISEASES IN HUMANS CAUSED BY BACTERIA

- Gonorrhoea, Syphilis, Tuberculosis, Cholera, dysentery, Typhoid, Pneumonia, Cerebrospinal meningitis,

Tetanus, Diphtheria, Whooping cough/ pertussis, Food poisoning etc.

HARMFUL EFFECTS OF MICRO ORGANISMS TO PLANTS

- They cause diseases;

- They can cause undesirable qualities in plants/ plant products;

- They cause spoilage leading to wastage;

- Reduction in yield.

BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF MICROORGANISMS TO HUMANS

- Bacteria/ decomposers are involved in decay/ decompose dead organisms to release nutrients;

- Bacteria is used in cleaning/ mopping up oil spillage;

- Used in the fermentation of foods/ cocoa beans/ gari/ locust beans/ kenkey production;

- Used to make vinegar;

- Used in making alcoholic beverage/ wine/ beer/ spirit;

- Used in the making some antibiotics/ penicillin;

- Used in the manufacture of insulin;

- Used in making cheese/ yoghurt/ bread ( Single Cell Proteins);

- Used in making flax/ tanning of leather;

- Production of some vitamins;

- Sewage treatment.

..