Characteristics of living things Flashcards
(25 cards)
What are the 8 characteristics of living things?
M = movement R = respiration S = sensitivity
G = growth R = reproduction E = excretion N = nutrition
What is movement?
an action by an organism causing a change of position or place
What is respiration?
the chemical reactions in cells that break down nutrient molecules and release energy
What is sensitivity?
ability to detect and respond to change in environment
What is growth?
a permanent increase in size
What is reproduction?
the creation of offspring of the same species as the parents
What is excretion?
the removal of waste products of metabolism, toxic materials or substances in excess of environment
What is nutrition?
Taking in of materials for growth, energy and development
Why are viruses not generally considered as living things?
Viruses do not have all of the 8 characteristics of living things
Define species
a group of organisms that can breed to produce fertile offspring
What are the 5 kingdoms?
Animals, plants, fungi, protoctista, prokaryotes
Describe the binomial naming system
Genus starts with a capital letter and species is written in small letters
eg: Homo sapiens
State the features that all cells share
Cytoplasm, cell membrane and DNA
Ribosomes and enzymes
Name five parts of an animal cell
Nucleus Mitochondria Ribosomes Cell membrane Cytoplasm
Name 8 parts of a plant cell
Nucleus Mitochondria Ribosomes Cell membrane Cytoplasm Vacuole Chloroplasts Cell wall
What are the two groups of animals?
vertebrates and invertebrates
What is the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates?
vertebrates have backbone, invertebrates don’t
What are the 5 groups of vertebrates?
mammals birds reptiles amphibians fish
What is an arthropod?
An invertebrate with an exoskeleton
What are the four main groups of arthropods?
Myriapods
Insects
Arachnids
Crustaceans
What are the two groups of plants?
Flowering and non flowering
What are the two main groups of flowering plants?
Monocotyledons
Dicotyledons
What are the 4 differences between monocotyledon and dicotyledon?
Monocots contain 1 cotyledon, a branching root system, parallel veins and strap shaped leaves
But Dicotyledons contain 2 cotyledon , tap root system, broad leaves and a network of branching veins
What are dichotomous keys?
resources used to identify organisms by asking a series of contrasting questions