CHAPTER 2: VARIETY OF LIVING ORGANISMS

1.1: Understand that living organisms share the following Characteristics:

LETTER DESCRIPTION
M - MOVEMENT All Living Organisms Move
R - RESPIRATION All Living Organisms will Inhale and Exhale
S - SENSITIVITY All Living Organisms will Respond to Stimuli
G - GROWTH All Living Organisms will Grow
R- All Living Organisms will Reproduce
REPRODUCTION
E - EXCRETION All Living Organisms will Excrete Waste
N - NUTRITION All Living Organisms Require Nutrition
(H-HOMEOSTASIS) (Birds and Mammals maintain a constant internal environment)

1.2: Describe the common features shared by eukaryotic organisms within the following
main groups: Plants, Animals, Fungi and Proctists
EUKARYOTES: Organisms that do have nuclei in their cells

GROUPS OF ORGANISMS

PLANTS:
 Multicellular Organisms
 Stores Carbohydrates as Starch
 Cells contain Chloroplasts; carries out photosynthesis
 Cell walls are made of Cellulose
 Example: Herbaceous Legume (eg beans and peas) and cereal (eg
maize)

ANIMALS
 Multicellular Organisms
 Stores Carbohydrates as Glycogen
 Cells DO NOT contain Chloroplasts; cannot carry out photosynthesis
 No Cell walls
 Nervous Coordination: Can move from one place to another
 Example: Mammals and Insects
 FUNGI
 Both Multicellular and Unicellular
 Stores Carbohydrates as Glycogen
 Cell walls are made of Chitin
 DO NOT carry out Photosynthesis
 Multicellular fungi are organised into a Mycelium: Thread-
like structure called Hyphae, which contains many Nuclei
 They feed by extracellular secretion: Releases digestive
enzymes onto food and absorb organic products
(saprotrophic nutrition)
 Example: Mucor (multicellular)/ Yeast (unicellular)

PROCTISTS
 Microscopic Unicellular Organisms
 Example: Amoeba (similar to animal cells)
Chlorella (have chloroplast, similar to
plans)
Plasmodium (causes malaria)

1.3: Describe the common features shared by prokaryotic organisms such as bacteria
PROKARYOTES: Organisms that do not have nuclei in their cells

GROUPS OF ORGANISMS
BACTERIA
 Unicellular Organisms
 Lack in nuclei’s so has circular chromosomes of DNA
 Can also have plasmids (extra circular loops of DNA)
 Has Cell wall, Cell membrane, Cytoplasm
 SOME can carry out Photosynthesis
 Feeds by eating living or dead living organisms
 Can be rods, spirals or spheres in shape. Rod-shaped
bacteria have bacillus in their name, sphere-shaped
bacteria have coccus or cocci in their name and spiral-
shapes have helicon in their name
 Example: Lactobacillus Bulgaricus (Yoghurt Production) , Pneumococcus (causes pneumonia)
1.4: Recall the term ‘Pathogen’ and know that Pathogens may be Fungi, Bacteria,
Protoctists or Viruses
PATHOGENS: Micro-organisms that causes Diseases

COMMON PATHOGENS
FUNGI (EUKARYOTE)
 Both Multicellular and Unicellular
 Stores Carbohydrates as Glycogen
 Cell walls are made of Chitin
 DO NOT carry out Photosynthesis
 Multicellular fungi are organised into a Mycelium: Thread-
like structure called Hyphae, which contains many Nuclei
 They feed by extracellular secretion: Releases digestive
enzymes onto food and absorb organic products
(saprotrophic nutrition)
 Example: Mucor (multicellular)/ Yeast (unicellular)
BACTERIA (PROKARYOTE)
 Unicellular Organisms
 Lack in nuclei’s so has circular chromosomes of DNA
 Can also have plasmids (extra circular loops of DNA)
 Has Cell wall, Cell membrane, Cytoplasm
 SOME can carry out Photosynthesis
 Feeds by eating living or dead living organisms
 Can be rods, spirals or spheres in shape. Rod-shaped bacteria
have bacillus in their name, sphere-shaped bacteria have
coccus or cocci in their name and spiral-shapes have helicon in
their name
 Example: Lactobacillus Bulgaricus (Yoghurt Production) , Pneumococcus (causes pneumonia)
PROCTISTS (EUKARYOTE)
 Microscopic Unicellular Organisms
 Example: Amoeba (similar to animal cells)
Chlorella (have chloroplast, similar to
plants)
Plasmodium (causes malaria)

VIRUS (ACELLULAR)
 Small Particles ( smaller than Bacteria )
 Acellular – not considered to be living as they do not follow
MRS GREN
 Parasitic: can only reproduce in living Organisms
 They only reproduce infect every type of living Organisms
 They have a wide variety of shapes and sizes
 No Cellular structure but has protein coat
 Contains one type of Nucleic Acid ( RNA or DNA )
 Example: Tobacco Mosaic Virus / HIV