Chapter 1: Characteristics and classification of living organisms Flashcards
What are the 7 living characteristics?
Movement
Respiration
Sensitivity
Growth
Reproduction
Excretion
Nutrition
What is movement?
An action by an organism, or a part of it, that causes a change in position or place
What is respiration?
Chemical reactions in cells that break down nutrient molecules and release energy for metabolism
What is sensitivity?
The ability to detect and respond to changes in the internal or external environment
What is growth?
A permanent increase in size and dry mass by an increase in cell size and/or cell number
What is reproduction?
The process that makes more of the same kind of organism
What is excretion?
The removal of waste products of metabolism, toxic materials, and substances in excess of requirement
What is nutrition?
The taking in of materials for energy, growth, and development
Define ‘species’
A group of organisms that can reproduce to produce fertile offspring
What is the binomial naming system?
A system in which an organism’s scientific name is made up of the genus and species name
What are the five kingdoms?
Animal, plant, fungus, protoctist, prokaryote
What are the main features of the animal kingdom?
- Cells have a nucleus, but no cell wall or chloroplast
- Feed on organic substances made by other living organisms
What are the main features of the plant kingdom?
- Cells have a nucleus, cell walls made of cellulose, and often contain chloroplasts
- Make their food and feed through photosynthesis
- May have roots, stems, and leaves
What are the main features of the fungus kingdom?
- Usually multicellular, sometimes unicellular, e.g. yeast
- Have nuclei and cell walls, which aren’t made of cellulose
- Do not have chlorophyll
- Feed on dead/decaying matter, digest waste organic material and absorb it into their cells
What are the main features of the protoctist kingdom?
- Multicellular and unicellular
- Cells have a nucleus and sometimes a cell wall and chloroplasts
- Some feed by photosynthesis and some feed on organic substances made by other organisms
What are the main features of the prokaryote kingdom?
- Usually unicellular
- No membrane-bound organelles, e.g. nucleus, mitochondria
- Cell walls aren’t made of cellulose
- Circular loop of DNA that is free in the cytoplasm
- Often have plasmids
What are the 2 main groups within the animal kingdom?
Vertebrates and arthropods
What are the main groups of vertebrates?
Mammals, fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles
What are the characteristics of fish?
- Scaly skin
- Gills
- Fins
- Lay shell-less eggs in water
What are the characteristics of amphibians?
- Smooth skin with no scales
- Shell-less eggs laid in water
- Tadpoles live in water and have gills for gas exchange
- Adults live on land and have lungs
What are the characteristics of reptiles?
- Scaly skin
- Lay soft-shell eggs
What are the characteristics of birds?
- Feathers
- Beak
- Lay hard-shell eggs
- Front 2 limbs are wings
What are the characteristics of mammals?
- Hair on their skin
- Young is developed in a uterus
- Females have mammary glands to produce milk for their young
- Have different kinds of teeth (incisors, canines, premolars, molars)
- Pinna (ear flap) on the outside of their body
- Sweat glands on the skin
- Have a diaphragm
What are the main groups of arthropods?
Crustaceans, insects, arachnids, myriapods
