Unit 1 - Characteristics and classification of living organisms Flashcards
(38 cards)
The 7 characteristics of living organisms
Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity, Growth, Reproduction, Excretion, Nutrition
Movement
An action by an organism, or part of an organism, that causes change in position or place
Sensitivity
The ability to detect and respond to stimuli in the internal or external environment
Growth
The permanent increase in size and dry mass
Reproduction
The process that makes more of the same kind of organism
Excretion
The removal of waste products of metabolism and substances that are in excess of requirements
Nutrition
The absorption or ingestion of materials for the purpose of providing energy, growth and development
System of classification
The binomial system
Order of classification in the binomial system
Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
DNA
The molecule of inheritance found in the nucleus of cells
The four bases of DNA
A,T,C,G
The complementary base pairs in DNA sequences
A&T , C&G
5 kingdoms
Prokaryotes, Protoctists, animals, plants, fungi
Vertebrates/chordata
A back-bone is present
Invertebrates/arthropods
No back-bone present
Examples of vertebrates
Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals
Fish
- Cold-blooded aquatic animals
- Have gills, covered and protected by bony flap - operculum
- Body covered with scales
- Have fins to swim
- Eggs laid in water, external fertilization
Amphibians
- Cold-blooded animals
- Slimy, moist skin, no scales
- Eggs laid in water, external fertilization
- Adults mostly live on land, but lay eggs in water
- Eggs hatch into fish-like larvae that live in water
- Adults have lungs, larvae have gills
Reptiles
- Cold-blooded animals basking in sun to lower temperature
- Body covered in scales or plates to prevent water loss
- Breathing with lungs
- Four limbs or legs, each limb has 5 toes with claws
- Internal fertilization
- Can lay eggs on land
Birds
- Warm-blooded vertebrates adapted for flight
- Breathe with lungs
- Covered in feathers
- Streamlined shape for flying
- Have wings
- Feed with beaks
- Internal fertilization
Mammals
- Warm-blooded animals, breathe with lungs
- Seen on land and in water
- Body covered in fur or hair
- External pinna / ear
- Almost all give live birth
- Feed young with milk produced by mammary glands
Examples of invertebrates
Insects, arachnids, crustaceans, myriapods
Features of invertebrates
Have jointed legs, hard skeleton/exoskeleton, segmented bodies (head+thorax+abdomen)
Insects
- Largest group of arthropods
- Two pairs of wings (some have one)
- Large compound eyes
- Bodies covered in hard cuticle
