Topic 1:

Characteristics and
classification of living
organisms
 Characteristics of living things
• You can use an acronym MRS GREN to help you
remember them.
Movement An action by an organism or part of an organism
causing a change of position or place.
Respiration The chemical reactions in cells that break down nutrient
molecules and release energy for metabolism.
Sensitivity The ability to detect or sense stimuli in the internal or
external environment and to make appropriate
responses.
Growth A permanent increase in size and dry mass by an
increase in cell number or cell size or both.
 Characteristics of living things
• You can use an acronym MRS GREN to help you
remember them.
Excretion Removal from organisms of the waste products of
metabolism (chemical reactions in cells including
respiration), toxic materials, and substances in excess
of requirements.
Nutrition Taking in of materials for energy, growth and
development;
…plants require light, carbon dioxide, water and ions;
…animals need organic compounds and ions and
usually need water
Reproduction The processes that make more of the same kind of
organism.
 Think about!
• Using your white boards, answer the following questions:
• Define:
• Movement
• An action by an organism or part of an organism causing a
change of position or place.
• Respiration
• The chemical reactions in cells that break down nutrient
molecules and release energy for metabolism.
• Sensitivity
• The ability to detect or sense stimuli in the internal or external
environment and to make appropriate responses.
• Growth
• A permanent increase in size and dry mass by an increase in cell
number or cell size or both.
 Think about!
• Define:
• Excretion
• Removal from organisms of the waste products of
metabolism (chemical reactions in cells including respiration),
toxic materials, and substances in excess of requirements.
• Nutrition
• Taking in of materials for energy, growth and development;
• …plants require light, carbon dioxide, water and ions;
• …animals need organic compounds and ions and usually need
water
• Reproduction
• The processes that make more of the same kind of organism.
Classification
• Definition of species:
• A species is a group of
organisms that can
reproduce to produce
fertile offspring.
• The binomial system of
naming organisms?
Example.
• The genus and species
name only are used, e.g.
Elephas [genus name],
maximum [specific name].
 Phylogeny
• The diagram below shows that
• How phylogenetic trees show lizards and snakes shared a
how closely related two common ancestor more recently
types of organism are. [and are therefore more closely
related to each other] than
• Organisms are interconnected snakes and crocodiles [which are
by lines with time [into the therefore less closely related to
past] showing. each other].
• Where two lines join is the
position of the common
ancestor of the organisms
connected above [or to the
left if it is drawn on its side].
• The more recently two
organisms share a common
ancestor, the more closely
related they are.
• How to provide evidence of Evidence for
relatedness between species of relatedness
organism?
• Features of morphology and
anatomy e.g. do they both have
a pentadactyl limb?
• The similarities of the base
sequences of the same gene
[DNA see below] or amino acid
sequences of the same protein
found in both species.
• [The more similar the more
recently they shared a common
ancestor so the more closely
related they are.
 Evidence for relatedness - DNA
• Learn to describe the
structure of DNA
• Long strand of bases [A, T, G
and C],
• A always bonds with A, G
with C
• Double helix [2 twisted
strands]
• Found in chromosomes in the
nucleus
 Think about!
• Define species [if sexually reproducing]
• A species is a group of organisms that can
reproduce to produce fertile offspring.
• What is the binomial system of naming
species?
• [An internationally agreed system in which]
the genus and species name only are used.
 Think about!
• The name of an elephant is: Elephas maximum
• What genus does it come from?
• Elephas
• What is its species/specific name?
• maximum
• What system shows the evolutionary
relationships between different species of
organism. I.e. how recently they shared a
common ancestor.
• The phylogenetic classification system
 Think about!
• What does it mean if species A have more of
the same bases in the same places in a specific
piece of DNA with species B than species C?
• A is more closely related to B than to C [A and
B shared a common ancestor more recently].
 Specific features of living organisms
• The structures contained
by all living organisms
[see topic 2 for details]
• Cytoplasm,
• a cell membrane,
• DNA as genetic material,

• ribosomes for protein

synthesis and enzymes
involved in respiration.
Specific features of different
kingdoms of organisms
 Specific features of
different kingdoms of
organisms
 Think about!
• What do the cells of all living organisms
contain [5 things]?
• Cytoplasm,
• a cell membrane,
• DNA as genetic material,
• ribosomes for protein synthesis
• and enzymes involved in respiration.
 Think about!
On your sheets/whiteboards, complete the following:
Multi/ Nucleus? Mitochondria/ Cell wall? Chloroplasts
unicellular? endoplasmic Made /makes own
reticulum? from? food?
Animal
Plant
Fungus
Protoctist
Prokaryote
 Think about!
Multi/ Nucleus? Mitochondria/ Cell wall? Chloroplasts
unicellular? endoplasmic Made /makes own
reticulum? from? food?
Animal Y Y Y N N
Plant Y Y Y Y cellulose Y
Fungus Both Y Y Y not N
cellulose
Protoctist Y Y Y Some Some
Prokaryote N N N Y not Some [but
cellulose no
chloroplasts]
 Specific features of vertebrates
Features in red are exclusively found in organisms in that group.

Mammals Have fur or hair, mammary glands [for feeding young

milk], different types of teeth, give birth to live young
[a few lay eggs]
[four limbs, eyes and external ears, a four chambered
heart, endothermic, internal fertilisation and lungs for
gas exchange]
Birds Have feathers, two wings two legs, a beak,lay eggs with
hard shells.
[eyes and ears, a four-chambered heart, endothermic,
lungs for gas exchange, internal fertilisation]
 Specific features of vertebrates
Amphibians Have smooth, moist skin, lungs/skin for gas exchange
[four limbs, eyes and ears, ectothermic, external
fertilisation and lay jelly covered eggs with no shells in
water]
Fish Have scales, fins, eyes and lateral line, gills for gas
exchange
[external fertilisation, ectothermic and lay jelly covered
eggs with no shells in water]

Reptiles Have dry scaly skin, lay soft-shelled eggs on land

[Four limbs [not snakes], eyes and ears, internal
fertilisation, ectothermic, lungs for gas exchange]
 Think about!
• Using your white boards, answer the following questions:
• What are vertebrates?
• Animals that have a backbone.
• Which features do only mammals have [4]?
• have fur or hair
• mammary glands [for feeding young milk]
• different types of teeth
• give birth to live young [a few lay eggs]
• Which features do only birds have?
• have feathers
• two wings & two legs
• a beak
• and lay eggs with hard shells.
 Think about!
• Which features do only amphibians have?
• have smooth, moist skin
• skin used for gas exchange
• Which features do only fish have?
• have scales
• fins
• lateral line
• gills for gas exchange
• Which features do only reptiles have?
• have dry scaly skin
• lay soft-shelled eggs on land
 Think about!
• Which 3 groups have 4 limbs
• Mammals, amphibians, reptiles
• Which 4 groups have eyes and ears?
• Mammals [external ears], birds, amphibians
and reptiles
• Which 2 groups have a 4 chambered heart?
• Mammals and birds
• Which 2 groups are endothermic?
• Mammals, birds
 Think about!
• Which 3 groups have internal fertilisation?
• Mammals, birds, reptiles
• Which 4 groups have lungs for gas exchange?
• Mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles
• Which 3 groups are ectothermic?
• Amphibians, fish, reptiles
• Which 2 groups have external fertilisation
• Amphibians, fish
• Which 2 groups lay jelly covered eggs with no shells
in water?
• Amphibians, fish
 Invertebrates
• These are animals without a backbone.
• You need to know the features of 4 types of
arthropods – which are [invertebrates]
animals that have jointed legs and segmented
bodies
 Specific features of different arthropods
Arachnids Body is divided into abdomen and
cephalothorax [2 parts], four pairs of [8]
jointed legs, piercing jaws, predators
Insects Body is divided into head, thorax and
abdomen [3 parts], six jointed legs [3
pairs], one or two pairs of wings
Myriapods Long thin body with many similar
segments, each with at least one pair of
jointed legs, antennae
Crustaceans Have many segments usually each with a
leg, claws or feelers, have more than four
pairs of jointed legs, hard shell, breathe via
gills [in water], very hard exoskeleton
 Think about!
• What are animals without a backbone called?
• Invertebrates
• What are the features of arthropods?
• Animals that have jointed legs and segmented
bodies
 Think about!
• Arthropods continued:
• What are the features of arachnids
• have a body is divided into abdomen and
cephalothorax [2 parts]
• and four pairs of [8] jointed legs
• all have piercing jaws as all are predators
• What are the features of insects
• have a body divided into head, thorax and abdomen
[3 parts]
• and six jointed legs [3 pairs]
• usually one or two pairs of wings
 Think about!
• What are the features of Myriapods?
• long thin body with many similar segments
• each with at least one pair of jointed legs
• antennae as sense organs in dark habitats
• What are the features of Crustaceans?
• have many segments usually each with a leg, claws
or feelers
• have more than four pairs of jointed legs
• have a hard shell
• breathe via gills [in water]
• exoskeleton very hard for protection
 Specific features of plants

Ferns Have fronds with spores for dispersal [reproduction], no

waxy cuticle, gametes swim through water during sexual
reproduction
 Specific features of plants
Flowering plants [have seeds and flowers for reproduction] include:
Monocotyledons Have seeds with single cotyledon, flowers usually with
parts in sets of three,
leaves often strap shaped with parallel veins a branching
root system
Dicotyledons Have seeds with two cotyledons, flowers usually with
parts in sets of four or five,
leaves often broad with a [branching] network of veins,
tap root system
 Think about!
• What are the features of the following plant
groups?
• Ferns:
• have leaves called fronds
• and reproduce with spores for dispersal
• no waxy cuticle
• gametes swim through water during sexual
reproduction
 Think about!
• What are the features of the following plant groups?
• Monocotyledons?
• have seeds containing a single cotyledon
• flowers usually with parts in sets of three
• leaves often strap shaped with parallel veins
• a branching root system
• Dicotyledons?
• have seeds containing two cotyledons
• flowers usually with parts in sets of four or five
• leaves often broad with a [branching] network of veins
• often have a tap root system
 Specific features of viruses

• Non living,
• genetic material
[either DNA or
RNA]
• enclosed in a
protein coat
 Classification
[dichotomous]
Keys
 Think about!
• Why are viruses not usually classed as living
organisms?
• Because they are not made of cells.
• What do viruses contain?
• A virus is a piece of genetic material [either
DNA or RNA] enclosed in a protein coat.
 Think about!
• What is a dichotomous key?
• A series of pairs of questions or statements
that helps you to identify an unknown
organism.
• Separates species because no two share all
the same features asked about in the Qs.