1

EXTRA CLASS – CSEC BIOLOGY

Name: _________________________________________________________________

OVERVIEW OF THE SYLLABUS

o Section A - Living Organisms in the Environment

o Section B - Life Processes and Disease
o Section C - Continuity and Variation

OVERVIEW OF THE EXAM

PERCENTAGE WEIGHING OF PAPERS AND PROFILES

 2

SECTION A – LIVING ORGANISMS IN THE ENVIRONMENT

CLASSIFICATION OF LIVING THINGS

Classification is the process of organizing living things (or other objects) into groups based on
shared characteristics or traits. Scientists now use DNA to help classify organisms.

The Five Kingdoms

Kingdoms are the broadest way to group living things. There are five main kingdoms.

 Plantae
 Animalia
 Fungi
 Bacteria
 Protista

Plants (Plantae)
Example: Trees, flowers, and grasses.
 3

 Multicellular - Plants are made up of many cells.

 Autotrophic - They produce their own food through photosynthesis, using sunlight, water,
and carbon dioxide.
 Reproduction - Can reproduce both sexually (through seeds) and asexually (through
vegetative means).
Animals (Animalia)
Examples: Fish, birds, and mammals.

 Multicellular: Animals are composed of many cells.

 Heterotrophic: They obtain their food by consuming other organisms.
 Movement: Most animals have some form of locomotion at some stage of their life cycle.

Fungi
Examples: Mushrooms and yeast.
 4

 Multicellular or Unicellular: Includes both types, such as mushrooms (multicellular) and

yeast (unicellular).
 Heterotrophic: Fungi obtain nutrients by decomposing organic matter.
 Reproduction: Can reproduce both sexually (through spores) and asexually (through
budding or spore formation).

Bacteria (Prokaryotae)
Examples include tiny, simple organisms like bacteria.

 Unicellular: Bacteria consist of single cells.

 No Nucleus: They lack a true nucleus; their genetic material is not enclosed in a membrane-
bound nucleus.

Protists (Protista)
Examples include single-celled organisms like amoebas and algae.
 5

Animal Kingdom Breakdown

 Phylum: Big groups based on body structure. For example, animals with backbones are in
the Phylum Chordata.
 Class: Smaller groups within a phylum. For example, within Chordata, there are classes like
fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
 Order: Even more specific groups within a class. For example, within mammals, there are
orders like carnivores (cats, dogs) and primates (monkeys, humans).
 Family: Groups within an order. For example, within primates, there's the family
Hominidae (great apes and humans).
 Genus: Closely related species. For example, the genus Homo includes humans and their
close relatives.
 Species: The most specific level. For example, Homo sapiens is the species name for
modern humans.

ACRONYM
King - Kingdom
Phillip - Phylum
Came - Class
Over - Order
For - Family
Grape - Genus
Soda – Species

CLASSIFICATION IN A HABITAT

Living organisms in a specific habitat can be classified based on observed similarities and
differences, such as their visible characteristics (e.g., hairiness, color, shape, venation, number of
legs and wings, and body segmentation).
 6

ACTIVITY

Classify the following insects using the following named categories.

Number of Wings
No Wings – Ant, Locust, Ladybird Beetle
Two Wings – Butterfly, Mosquito, Housefly
Four Wings – Bee, Wasp

Shape (Round or Elongated)

Round – Ladybird Beetle
Elongated - Ant, Locust, Butterfly, Mosquito, Housefly, Bee, Wasp
 7

ECOLOGY AND SAMPLING

Ecology is the study of living organisms and how they interact with their environment. Living
organisms exist in ecosystems, which are communities of living things sharing an environment
and collectively interacting with each other and the abiotic factors of their environment. An
organism's environment comprises the factors which are present in its environment and act upon
it in some capacity.

TERMS TO NOTE

 Abiotic - This term refers to the non-living components of an ecosystem. Abiotic factors
include temperature, water, light, minerals, and atmospheric gases. These factors influence
the living organisms in an environment but are not alive themselves.

 Biotic: Biotic refers to the living components of an ecosystem. This includes all organisms,
such as plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms, and their interactions with each other.

 Habitat: A habitat is the specific environment or place where an organism lives. It includes
both the biotic and abiotic factors that make up that environment.

 Niche: A niche is the role or function of an organism or species within an ecosystem. It

encompasses how the organism interacts with its environment, including its habitat, the
resources it uses, and its relationships with other organisms. Essentially, it’s the organism's
"job" or "position" within its ecosystem.

 Species: A species is a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
Members of the same species share common characteristics and genetic makeup.

 Population: A population is a group of individuals of the same species living in a specific

area at a given time.
 8

 Community: A community refers to all the populations of different species that live and
interact within a particular area.

KEY DIFFERENTIATIONS

Abiotic vs. Biotic

In an ecosystem, abiotic factors are the non-living parts of the environment that influence the
living organisms. On the other hand, biotic factors are the living components of an ecosystem.
These encompass all organisms, from plants and animals to fungi and microorganisms.

Niche vs. Habitat

An organism’s niche is essentially its role or job within its environment. It includes how the
organism obtains its food, how it interacts with other species, and its overall contribution to the
ecosystem. A habitat is the specific place where an organism lives. It’s the “address” of the
organism, while the niche is more about what the organism does in that place.

Population vs. Community

A population refers to a group of individuals of the same species living in a particular area at a
given time. However, a community includes all the different populations of species that live and
interact in a certain area.

Species vs. Population

A species is a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. A population
is a specific subset of a species. It refers to the individuals of that species living in a particular
location. While “species” refers to the broader category, “population” is about the localized
group within that species.
 9

IMPACT OF ABIOTIC FACTORS ON ORGANISMS IN AN ECOSYSTEM

Soil

 Soil holds water from rain, which plants use to stay alive. This water is essential for their
growth and survival.

 Soil provides minerals and nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus that plants need to grow.
These nutrients also move through the food chain to animals and humans.

 Soil has air pockets that supply oxygen to plant roots, helping them absorb nutrients and stay
healthy.

Water

 Water is crucial for all living things to stay hydrated and to carry out life processes.

 Aquatic environments (like lakes and oceans) provide living space for many organisms, from
tiny microbes to large fish.

 Water bodies help control temperatures and weather patterns, affecting the entire ecosystem.

Climate (Light and Temperature)

 Plants need sunlight for photosynthesis to produce food and oxygen. Light also affects the
behavior and life cycles of many organisms.

 Temperature affects how organisms live and grow. Different species thrive in different
temperature ranges, and extreme temperatures can be harmful.

Air (Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen)

 Oxygen - Essential for respiration, oxygen allows organisms to get energy from their food.
It’s needed by both plants and animals.

 Carbon Dioxide - Plants use CO2 from the air to make food through photosynthesis. CO2
also influences global climate.

 Nitrogen – Essential for building proteins and DNA

SAMPLING
Sampling is the process of selecting a representative part or subset of a population or
environment to study and gather information about the whole.
 10

Quadrat
A square or rectangular frame placed on the ground to sample
a specific area.

Researchers use quadrats to estimate the abundance and

distribution of plants or small organisms within the frame.

Pooters
A small handheld device used to collect small insects.

A pooter consists of a jar with a tube. By gently sucking

on the tube, insects are drawn into the jar, allowing for
easy collection and examination.

Bottles and Jars

Containers used to collect and store specimens, such as
insects or small aquatic organisms.
Bottles and jars are often used for sampling insects,
plants, or small animals.

Nets
Tools with a mesh net attached to a handle. Nets are used to
catch flying insects or aquatic organisms. Sweep nets are
used for terrestrial organisms, and dip nets for aquatic
organisms.

Sieves
 11

A mesh screen used to separate organisms from soil or

sediment. Soil or sediment is poured through the sieve to
separate smaller organisms and particles from larger debris.

Line Transect
A straight line across a habitat along which observations are
made. Researchers record the types and abundance of
organisms that intersect the line at regular intervals.

Belt Transect
A wider strip of habitat that is sampled along a line. A belt
transect involves recording data within a quadrat along the
line. This provides more detailed information about species
distribution and abundance compared to a line transect.

Mark-Release-Recapture Method
Researchers capture individuals, mark them and release them
back into the habitat. After allowing time for mixing, they
capture another sample and count how many marked
individuals are recaptured. This data helps estimate the total
population size.
 12

SECTION B – LIFE PROCESSES AND DISEASE

SECTION C – CONTINUITY AND VARIATION