Biology

Characteristics and Classification of living organisms:

• Define the terms:

– Movement is an action by an organism or part of an organism causing a change of
position or place
– Respiration is the chemical reactions in cells that break down nutrient molecules and
release energy for metabolism (All living organisms do this)
– Sensitivity is the ability to detect or sense stimuli in the internal or external
environment and to make appropriate responses
– Growth is a permanent increase in size and dry mass by an increase in cell number or
cell size or both
– Excretion is removal from organisms of the waste products of metabolism (chemical
reactions in cells including respiration), toxic materials, and substances in excess of
requirements
– Nutrition is 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

Classification: Grouping of living organisms according to similar structures and

functions
Why is it important? Identifying different organisms / Understanding their evolution
Taxonomists are people who study classification.

-Scientific names are written as:

Genus - with a capital letter
Species - In bold or italic

Classification System Order:

Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genes
Species

Anagram: King Phillip Came Over For Grade Soda

 Biology

Kingdom Group
PLANT
Monocotyledons (grass)
Flowering
- Only one seed leaf
Plants
- Long thin leaves with parallel veins
Dicotyledons ( trees)
- Two seed leaves
- Broad leaves with branching veins
-Limited to damp evironments because they do not have a thick cuticle and their
Ferns gametes must swim through water during sexual reproduction
-produce spores for wide dispersal
ANIMALS
Insects: 3 body parts, 3 pairs of legs, 1 or 2 pairs of wings
Crustaceans: Many segments, claws and legs, breathe through gills, exoskeleton
Athropods
Arachnids: Two body parts, 8 legs, no wings, piercing jaws and many eyes
Myriapods: long thing body, many segments and legs, antennae.

Magnification= Measured Length

Actual Length

Bacteria:
1. Made from single cells
2. Cells do not contain a nucleus, but have a small piece of circular DNA instead (a
bacterial chromosome).
3. Some bacteria can carry out rudimentary photosynthesis, but most are
saprophytes
4. Have flagella for movement. Can have multiple or even none at all.
5. Are Prokaryotes
6. Cell walls made of Peptidoglycan.
7. Capsule to adhere to substances.

Examples: Coccus, Bacillus, Spirillium,

Diplo-, Staphlo-, Strepto-. (Lacto-Bacillus
used to make yoghurt.)
 Biology

Viruses:
1. Much smaller than bacteria. They
are not made from
2. Totally parasitic and reproduce
inside host cells using their
metabolic machinery.
3. They infect every type of living
cell
4. Are not considered cells.

The Envelope is used to gain entry

into host cells.
The Capsid is a protein coat and is
used to protect the genetic
information and give the virus structure
The DNA or RNA (a different type of nucleic acid) contain the code for building new
viruses.
The Spikes recognize the cell to be infected.

Fungi:
1. They are saprophytic and feed by excreting
digestive enzymes onto food and absorbing the
digested products
2. Cells do not contain chloroplasts and are not
able to carry out photosynthesis
3. Cells are joined together to form threads,
called hyphae. Hyphae contain many nuclei,
because they are made from many cells.
4. Cell walls are made from chitin (a protein)
5. They store carbohydrates as glycogen.

Fungal Reproduction:
Asexual-
Spores: In sporangium, held up by sporangiophore, are millions of spores. As the sporangium
matures, it bursts open, releasing spores which germinate after being dispersed if conditions are
sufficient.
 Biology

Budding (Mainly yeast): Cell swells at one side, nucleus divides, forming bud-like structure. This
continues over and over, and the bud has a possibility of dropping.

Sexual-
Mycelium of one fungi fuses nuclei with myscelium of other fungi. Chromosomes combine and
halve through meiosis.

Fungal nutrition:
Fungi cannot carry out photosynthesis. Instead they use saprotrophic nutrition. They
secrete enzymes onto their food so that digestion happens outside the fungal cells.
They then absorb the digested organic products.
Fungal cells may store carbohydrate as glycogen (remember that plant cells store
carbohydrate as starch).

Eukaryotic Cells (Animal,

Prokaryotic Cells (Bacteria)
No nucleus or other membrane-
bound organelles
Cell division is by Binary Fission
Reproduction is asexual
Plant, Fungi, etc)
Always contains nucleus and other
membrane-bound organelles
Cell division is by mitosis or meiosis
Reproduction is asexual or sexual

• Relate the structure of the following to their functions:

– ciliated cells – movement of mucus in the trachea and bronchi
– root hair cells – absorption
– xylem vessels – conduction and support
– palisade mesophyll cells – photosynthesis
– nerve cells – conduction of impulses
– red blood cells – transport of oxygen
– sperm and egg cells – reproduction

• Define tissue as a group of cells with similar structures, working together to perform a shared
function
• Define organ as a structure made up of a group of tissues, working together to perform specific
functions
• Define organ system as a group of organs with related functions, working together to perform
body functions
 Biology
Movement in and out of cells:
Diffusion: The movement of particles from a region of high concentration, down the
concentration gradient, to a region of low concentration, through a partially permeable
membrane, until equilibreum is reached.

The energy for diffusion comes from the kinetic energy of random movement of
molecules and ions

How to increase rate of diffusion: Examples of diffusion?

-Digested food products from
-Higher concentration
gut cavity, through capillaries of
-Higher temperature
villi, to blood.
-Larger surface area
-Plants taking in CO2 and
-Shorter diffusion distance releasing O2
-Steeper concentration gradient

Osmosis: The movement of water particles from a region of high water potential, down
the water potential gradient, to a region of low water potential, through a partially
permeable membrane.

Active Transport: the movement of particles against the concentration gradient, into a
region of higher concentration, through the cell membrane, assisted by the cell's energy
named ATP.
Active
Diffusion Osmosis
transport
Down a concentration
✓ ✓ ✗
gradient
Against a
concentration ✗ ✗ ✓
gradient
Energy needed ✗ ✗ ✓
Dissolved
Substance moved Dissolved solutes Water
solutes
Gases and dissolved Partially permeable Carrier protein
Notes
gases also diffuse membrane needed needed