CHAPTER 1

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1. Movement - an action by an organism or part of an
organism causing a change of position or place.

apgschool/igcse/biology
2. Respiration - the chemical reactions in cells that
breakdown nutrient molecules and release energy for
metabolism.

apgschool/igcse/biology
 3. Sensitivity - the ability to detect or sense stimuli in the
internal or external environment and to make appropriate
responses.
A stimulus is any change either internal or external which leads to a response.

apgschool/igcse/biology
4. Growth - a permanent increase in size and dry mass by an
increase in cell number or cell size or both.

Development - increase in complexity.

apgschool/igcse/biology
5. Reproduction - the process that makes more of the same
kind of organism.

apgschool/igcse/biology
6. Excretion - removal from organisms of the waste products
of metabolism, toxic materials and substances in excess of
requirements.

apgschool/igcse/biology
7. Nutrition - taking in materials for energy, growth and
development.

apgschool/igcse/biology
Explain that the sequences of bases in DNA and of amino acids in proteins are used as a more
accurate means of classification.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the cell's hereditary material

and contains instructions for development, growth and
reproduction. DNA is passed from generation to generation in
humans and many other organisms.
apgschool/igcse/biology
DNA

apgschool/igcse/biology
•As technology advanced, microscopes, knowledge
of biochemistry and eventually DNA
sequencing allowed us to classify organisms using a
more scientific approach
•Studies of DNA sequences of different species show
that the more similar the base sequences in the DNA
of two species, the more closely related those two
species are (and the more recent in time their common
ancestor is)

apgschool/igcse/biology
List the main features used to place all organisms into one of the five kingdoms: Animal, Plant, Fungus,
Prokaryote, Protoctist

apgschool/igcse/biology
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Constructing & Using a Dichotomous Key
•Keys are used to identify organisms based on a series
of questions about their features
•Dichotomous means ‘branching into two’ and it leads the
user through to the name of the organism by giving two
descriptions at a time and asking them to choose
•Each choice leads the user onto another two
descriptions
•In order to successfully navigate a key, you need to pick
a single organism to start with and follow the
statements from the beginning until you find the name
•You then pick another organism and start at the
beginning of the key again, repeating until all organisms
are named
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CHAPTER 2
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CHAPTER 3