CHAPTER 3

3.1 Diversity of living

organisms
• Human beings, plants and animals are living
organisms.
• The large variety or diversity of living organisms
is called biodiversity.
• A habitat is the place where an organism lives.
• E.g : Organisms Habitat
Tigers, elephants, tall trees Jungle

Fish, frogs, water snails, water ponds

lilies, dragonflies
Organisms in jungle
Organisms at ponds
• Different organisms have different
characteristics to help them adapt to their
environment.
• This is very important for their survival.
• Organisms that can only be seen under
microscope are classified as
microorganisms.
• Bacteria are single, simple plant cells.
Some are harmful and cause diseases.
• Viruses are the smallest
microorganisms.E.g AIDS and SARS
viruses.
• Protozoa are one-celled animals living in
water. E.g Amoeba and Paramecium.
• Algae are simple green plants. They live in
damp habitats or in water.
• Fungi are plants which have no
chlorophyll.E.g yeast.
Bacteria
viruses
protozoa
algae
fungi
 Classification of living
organisms
• Sorting of living organisms into groups based
on their common characteristics is called
classification.
Classification of animals
 vertebrates
• Vertebrates is an animal with a backbone
• Vertebrates are classified into 5 smaller
groups: fish, amphibians, reptiles,birds
and mammals
 Fish
• Live in water
• Body covered with slimy scales.
• Posses fins for moving and balancing. Have
streamlined bodies so that can move fast in water.
• Breathe through gills.
• Possess a lateral line canal on each side of the body
for detecting stimuli.
• Most fish lay eggs that are fertilised outside the body.
• Are cold-blooded (the body temperature changes
according to the surrounding temperature)
 Amphibians
• Can live on land and water
• Body covered with a moist skin
• Breathe through gills at the tadpole stage.
Breathe through lungs and moist skin during
adult.
• The young are hatched from eggs.
• Practise external fertilization
• Cold-blooded animals
 reptiles
• Most live in on land, but some in water.
• Body covered with scales which are non-slimy
• Some move about on 4 legs, but some have no
legs
• The young are hatched from eggs which are
protected by hard shells
• Practice internal fertilization ( sperm and egg
cell are united in the female’s body)
• Cold-blooded
 Birds
• Live on land
• Body covered with feathers
• Possess a pair of wings and most of them can fly
• Breathe through lungs
• The young are hatched from eggs protected by hard
shells
• Practice internal fertilization
• Warm-blooded (Body temperature remains constant
despite changes in surroundings)
 mammals
• Most live on land. (whales and dolphins live in
the sea)
• Body covered with fur and hair
• Posses ear lobes and also sweat glands
• Possess a diaphragm which separates the
chest from abdomen
• Breathe through lungs
• Female gives birth to her young
• Practices internal fertilization
• Warm-blooded
The Classification of Plants
 Plants
Non-flowering
plants Flowering plants

Monocotyledons
Ferns
Mossess

Conifers
Dicotyledons
 Non-Flowering Plants
a) Moss
• Simple plants with stems and small leaves
but no roots
• Live in moist and shady places on land.
• Most plants green in colours
• Reproduce by spores growing in capsules
at the end of stalks.
 b) Ferns
• Have stems , leaves and roots
• Live in moist and shady places on land
• Reproduces by spores growing in
capsules attached on the back of leaves
 b) Conifers
• Have true roots, stems and needle like
leaves.
• Do not produce flowers but cones
• Reproduce by seeds produces in the
cones
 Flowering Plants
• Plants that have flowers with reproductive organ
• The reproductice organs produce fruits and seeds
• Every seed contain embryo. Embryo is capable to
grow into mature plant.
• These seed also has 1 or 2 seed leaves called
cotyledons
• Cotyledons supply FOOD as the plant grows or
become the first leaves of the young plants.
• Flowering are classified according to the number of
cotyledons in their seed.
• Plants with 1 cotyledons : MONOCOTYLEDONS
• Plants with 2 cotyledons : DICOTYLEDONS
 a) Monocotyledons

• Seed : 1 cotyledon
 Monoctyledon
• Flower parts in threes
 Monocotyledons
• Leaf : Parallel Veins
 Monocotyledons
• Stem : Bundles scattered
 Monocotyledons
• Fibrous root
 Examples of Monocotyledon
Maize, grass, orchid, banana, sugar cane,
coconut tree, oil palm
 Dicotyledons
• Seed : 2 Cotyledons (DIcotyledons)
 Dicotyledons
• Flower parts in fours or fives
 Dicotyledons
• Leaves – Network veins
 Dicotyledons
• Stem : Bundles in a circle
 Dicotyledons
• Root : Tap Root
 Dicotyledons
• Examples of dicotyledons are roses,
tomatoes, sunflowers, beans, groundnuts,
rubber trees and hibiscus plants.
 Importance of Biodiversity
1~Sources of Food
• We eat variety of plants and animals as
our food sources.
2) Source of Materials
• We make houses, furniture and handicrafts
and textiles from various plants and animals
3) Source of Medicine
• Modern and traditional medicine make use of
extracts from various plants and animals to
treat and prevent diseases.
4) Clean Water
• Forests and wetlands filter water again and
again making it clean enough for us to drink,
bathe and grew crops
5) Air to breathe
• Plants take in carbon dioxide from the air and
release oxygen into it
 Maintaining Biodiversity
• Our country promised to reserve half of its
land as permanent forest at the Rio Earth
Summit in June 1992.
• Other efforts including :
~ to protect and manage habitat
~ to educate people
~ to use animals, plants, water and land wisely
~to protect threatened species