Charateristics and Classification Flashcards by Sam B

What are the characteristics of living organisms?

Movement

Respiration

Sensitivity

Growth

Reproduction

Excretion

Nutrition

acronym MRS GREN.

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What is movement in living organisms?

Movement is the action made by an organism that causes a change in its position or place.

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What is respiration in living organisms?

Respiration refers to the chemical reactions that take place in cells that break down nutrient molecules and release energy for metabolism.

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What is sensitivity in living organisms?

Sensitivity is the ability to sense stimuli in the internal or external environment and make appropriate responses.

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What is growth in living organisms?

Growth is a permanent increase in size and dry mass by an increase in cell number or both.

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What is reproduction in living organisms?

Reproduction is the process that makes more of the same kind of organism.

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What is excretion in living organisms?

Excretion is the removal from organisms of waste products of metabolism, toxic materials, and excess substances.

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What is nutrition in living organisms?

Nutrition is the process of taking in materials for growth, energy, and development.

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What is a species?

A species is a group of organisms that can reproduce with one another to produce fertile offspring.

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What is the binomial naming system?

The binomial naming system is a standard method of classification.
It gives each organism a scientific name made up of two parts: the genus and the species.

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What is the scientific name for humans in the binomial naming system?

Homo sapiens —
Homo is the genus, and sapiens is the species.

The genus name is written first and is capitalized.

The species name is written second and is not capitalized.

The full name is written in italics (or underlined if handwritten).

Example: Homo sapiens or Homo sapiens (if handwritten)

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Why do we classify organisms?

Organize and identify them easily

Identify those at risk of extinction

Understand relationships between different organisms

Show how organisms have evolved

Provide a universal system used by scientists around the world

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How do we classify organisms?

We classify organisms by studying their:

Morphology – the external features (like shape, size, structure)

Anatomy – the internal structure (like organs and tissues)
These similarities and differences help group organisms into related categories.

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Why are DNA and protein sequences used in classification?

Sequences of DNA and amino acids in proteins provide a more accurate way of classification, because they show the genetic similarities and differences between organisms.

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How is each species genetically unique?

Each species has a unique number of chromosomes and a unique sequence of bases in its DNA, which makes it different from other species.
For example, humans have 46 chromosomes.

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What does similar DNA between organisms tell us about their ancestry?

Organisms with recent common ancestors have DNA that is more similar compared to those with distant ancestors.
This helps scientists understand evolutionary relationships.

What are the main levels of classification for living organisms?

All living things are classified into the following levels:
Kingdom → Phylum → Class → Order → Genus → Species.

What common features do all living things share?

All living things have certain features in common, including:

Cytoplasm

Cell membrane

DNA (genetic material)

Ribosomes (found in the cytoplasm) either floating freely or attached to the rough endoplasmic reticulum.
Ribosomes are responsible for making proteins and enzymes involved in respiration.

How do viruses reproduce?

Viruses reproduce inside the cells of living organisms, using materials from the host cell to create new virus particles.

What are the main features of viruses?

Viruses have:

A central core of RNA or DNA surrounded by a protein coat.

No nucleus, cytoplasm, cell organelles, or cell membrane.

Viruses are not cells, and they do not feed, excrete, respire, or grow.

What is a dichotomous key?

A dichotomous key is a tool used to identify organisms by providing a series of contrasting features.

Dichotomous means two branches.

How is a dichotomous key used?

A dichotomous key is used by providing a series of yes/no questions or contrasting choices, guiding you to the correct identification of an organism.

What is Whittaker’s Five Kingdoms classification?

Whittaker’s Five Kingdoms classifies living organisms into five major groups:

Monera – Prokaryotic organisms (bacteria)

Protista – Unicellular eukaryotes (e.g., amoeba)

Fungi – Fungi (e.g., mushrooms, yeast)

Plantae – Plants (e.g., trees, flowers)

Animalia – Animals (e.g., mammals, birds)

What are the main characteristics of the Animalia kingdom?

Animals are multicellular organisms.

They do not have a cell wall or chloroplasts.

Animals are divided into two main groups:

Vertebrates (e.g., mammals, birds)

Arthropods (e.g., insects, spiders)

What are the different types of vertebrates?

There are five main types of vertebrates: Mammals – Warm-blooded, have hair/fur, give live birth (most), and nurse their young. Birds – Warm-blooded, have feathers, lay eggs, and have beaks. Reptiles – Cold-blooded, have scales, and lay eggs (e.g., snakes, lizards). Amphibians – Cold-blooded, live both in water and on land (e.g., frogs, salamanders). Fish – Cold-blooded, live in water, have gills, and lay eggs (e.g., goldfish, sharks).

What are the different types of arthropods?

Arthropods are divided into four main groups: Insects – Have three body parts (head, thorax, abdomen), six legs, and often wings (e.g., ants, butterflies). Arachnids – Have two body parts and eight legs (e.g., spiders, scorpions). Crustaceans – Have a hard exoskeleton, and most live in water (e.g., crabs, lobsters, shrimp). Myriapods – Have many legs, with bodies divided into head and many segments (e.g., centipedes, millipedes).

What are the main characteristics of the Plant kingdom?

Plants are multicellular organisms. They have a cell wall made of cellulose. Plants contain chloroplasts with chlorophyll for photosynthesis, allowing them to make their own food. They are divided into: Ferns – Non-flowering plants that reproduce via spores. Flowering plants – Plants that reproduce via seeds, producing flowers.

What are the main characteristics of ferns?

Ferns are land plants and vascular plants (have xylem and phloem). They undergo sexual reproduction and produce gametes (sex cells). Ferns do not produce seeds; instead, the zygote directly becomes the fern plant.

What is the role of sporangia in ferns?

Sporangia are structures in ferns that produce spores, which help in reproduction and are released to grow into new fern plants.

What are the main characteristics of flowering plants?

Flowering plants are vascular plants with xylem and phloem. They reproduce sexually through flowers that produce seeds. The seed contains the embryo, which grows into a new plant. Flowering plants can be divided into monocots and dicots based on their seed structure.

What is the arrangement of ions in the lattice of an ionic compound?

The lattice has a regular arrangement of alternating positive and negative ions, held together by strong electrostatic forces of attraction.

What are the differences between Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons?

Monocotyledons (Monocots) - Dicotyledons (Dicots) 1 Seed Leaf (Cotyledon) - 2 Seed Leaves (Cotyledons) Parallel Leaf Venation - Net-like Leaf Venation Flower Parts in Multiples of 3 - Flower Parts in Multiples of 4 or 5 Vascular Bundles Scattered - Vascular Bundles in a Circle Examples: Corn, Lily - Examples: Rose, Bean Plant

What are the main characteristics of fungi?

Fungi are made up of thread-like hyphae rather than cells. Many nuclei are distributed throughout the cytoplasm in their hyphae. Examples of fungi include yeast and mushrooms.

What are the characteristics of prokaryotic unicellular organisms?

Prokaryotic unicellular organisms include bacteria and algae. Their chromosomes are not organized into a nucleus. Each bacterial cell contains a single chromosome consisting of circular DNA strands.

What are the characteristics of protoctists?

Protoctists are unicellular organisms. Their chromosomes are enclosed in a nuclear membrane, forming a nucleus. An example of a protoctist is the amoeba.