Area of Study 2

How do plant and animal systems function?

On completion of this unit the student should be able to explain and compare how cells are specialised and
organised in plants and animals, and analyse how specific systems in plants and animals are regulated.
Key Knowledge
• specialisation and organisation of animal cells into tissues, organs and systems
with specific functions: digestive
 Theory Background
 For much of the geological history of earth, it’s inhabitants were unicellular organisms.
 Unicellular organisms can carry out ALL of the metabolic processes necessary for
living, which means it is capable of living an independent existence.
 The earliest multicellular organisms are thought to have evolved 600 million years ago.
Ediacaran Biota.
 Cells of a multicellular organism show a division
of labour among their cells.
 Being multi-cellular allows organisms to
have cells that specialise in form and function,
so they can perform various functions
that serve the needs of the whole organism.

This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY.

Do Now:
Using the images shown on
the page, number and name
the levels of organisation in
the correct order.
 Levels of organisation
Cell: basic structural and functional unit of life.
Tissue: A cluster of cells that perform a shared function.
Organ: A combination of tissues that form a structure that performs a specific function.
System: a collection of organs and tissues that perform a specific function.

Cells Tissues Organs Systems

 Levels of organisation - CELLS
 Unspecialised cells called stem cells can develop to form specialised cells
which have very particular jobs.
 Cells can take on different shapes to have different functions – cell
specialisation
 Levels of organisation - TISSUES
 A tissue forms when cells of one similar type act in a coordinated manner
to carry out a specific function
 In animals, there are 4 types of tissues:
 Epithelial
 Muscle
 Connective
 Nervous
 Levels of organisation - ORGANS
 An organ is a structure of two or more tissues
that preform a specific function.
 Many tissues = one organ
 E.g. stomach:
 Epithelial cells – lining of the stomach
 Muscle cells – allow for the contraction
and expansion of the stomach
 Connective tissue – the blood that supplies
nutrients and remove wastes from the cells
Levels of organisation - SYSTEMS
 Systems are groups of functionally similar organs working together as a unit.
 Each system carries out major life-sustaining functions:
 Can you name some body systems?

 Systems work together and rely on each other to function

4.1 Key Questions
Page 166
 Complete questions, 2, 3, 5

4.3 Animal Systems

 Read pages174 -182