Grade 10 Life Sciences P2
Transport Systems in Mammals
Blood:
Composition: Blood tissue is composed of plasma, red blood cells (erythrocytes), white
blood cells (leukocytes), and platelets.
Functions:
Transport of oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, and waste products.
Defense against infection (white blood cells).
Blood clotting (platelets).
Regulation of body temperature.
Tissue Fluid: The liquid part of blood constantly seeping through the capillary walls,
carrying with it dissolved substances that are required by somatic cells (body cells).
Closed Blood Systems: Mammals have a closed circulatory system where blood is contained
within vessels.
Heart Structure and Function:
External Structure: Chambers (atria and ventricles), major blood vessels (aorta, pulmonary
artery, pulmonary veins, vena cava).
Internal Structure: Valves (atrioventricular and semilunar), myocardium.
Functions: Pumping blood to the lungs and body.
Blood Vessels:
Arteries: Carry blood away from the heart. Thick walls to withstand high pressure.
Veins: Carry blood towards the heart. Thinner walls, contain valves to prevent backflow.
Capillaries: Tiny vessels where exchange of substances occurs between blood and
tissues.
Cardiac Cycle: The sequence of events in one complete heartbeat (systole and diastole).
Double Circulatory System:
Pulmonary Circuit: Transports blood to the lungs for oxygenation and back to the heart.
Systemic Circuit: Transports oxygenated blood to the body tissues and back to the heart.
Biosphere to Ecosystems
Biomes:
Terrestrial: Grassland, Savanna, Nama Karoo, Succulent Karoo, Fynbos, Forest, Thicket,
Desert.
Location of different biomes in South Africa.
Aquatic: Freshwater (rivers, lakes, wetlands), Marine (oceans, estuaries).
Factors Influencing Organisms in Biomes: Climate (temperature, rainfall), soil type, available
light.
Environment:
Human activities and their interactions with the natural environment (deforestation,
pollution).
Ecosystems:
Definition: A community of biotic and abiotic factors interacting with each other.
Structure:
Biotic factors: Producers, Consumers, Decomposers.
Abiotic factors: Physiographic factors, Soil, Light, Temperature, Water, Atmospheric
gas, Wind.
Functioning: Energy flow and nutrient cycles.
Biotic Factors:
Producers (Autotrophs): Organisms that make their own food through photosynthesis.
Consumers (Heterotrophs): Organisms that obtain energy by feeding on other organisms.
Primary: Herbivores.
Secondary: Carnivores or Omnivores.
Tertiary: Carnivores or Omnivores.
Decomposers (Saprotrophs): Organisms that break down dead organic matter.
Abiotic Factors:
Physiographic factors: Aspect, Slope, Altitude.
Soil: pH, Humus content, Texture, Air content, Water retention capacity.
Climatic Factors: Light, Temperature, Water, Atmospheric gases, Wind.
Effects of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on the Community: Limiting factors, carrying capacity,
interspecies relationships.
Energy Flow:
Food Chains: A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as
one organism eats another.
Food Webs: Interconnected food chains in an ecosystem.
Food Pyramids: Graphical representation of energy or biomass at each trophic level.
Organisms at each trophic level.
Nutrient Cycles:
Water cycle: Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, runoff, transpiration.
Oxygen cycle: Photosynthesis and respiration.
Carbon cycle: Photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, combustion.
Nitrogen cycle: Nitrogen fixation, nitrification, denitrification, ammonification.
Biodiversity and Classification
Biodiversity: The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
Classification: The arrangement of organisms into groups based on similarities and
evolutionary relationships.
Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes:
Prokaryotes: Cells without a true nucleus or membrane-bound organelles (e.g., bacteria).
Eukaryotes: Cells with a true nucleus and membrane-bound organelles (e.g., protists,
fungi, plants, animals).
Brief History of Classification:
Two-Kingdom System: Plants and Animals.
Five-Kingdom System: Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia.
Five-Kingdom System:
Monera: Prokaryotic, unicellular (e.g., bacteria).
Protista: Eukaryotic, mostly unicellular (e.g., amoeba, algae).
Fungi: Eukaryotic, mostly multicellular, heterotrophic (e.g., mushrooms, molds).
Plantae: Eukaryotic, multicellular, autotrophic (e.g., plants).
Animalia: Eukaryotic, multicellular, heterotrophic (e.g., animals).
Naming:
Species: A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
Linnaeus Binomial Naming System (Genus species): Homo sapiens.
History of Life on Earth
Evolution: Change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive
generations.
Biological evolution.
Atmosphere Composition: Early atmosphere vs. present atmosphere.
Climate Change:
Ice age.
Geological Events:
Continental drift (plate tectonics).
Geological Timescale: A system of chronological dating that relates geological strata to time.
Eons, Eras, Periods, Epochs.
The three eras: Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Coenozoic.
Cambrian Explosion: Sudden appearance of many different animal phyla.
Origins of early life forms, significance of changes.
Mass Extinctions:
250 mya (Permian-Triassic extinction).
65 mya (Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction).
6th mass extinction (current extinction event).
Fossil Formation: Process of how fossils are formed in sedimentary rock.
Methods of Dating:
Relative Dating: Determining the age of fossils based on their position in rock layers.
Radiometric Dating: Determining the age of fossils using radioactive isotopes.
Transitional Fossils: Fossils that show a mix of traits from two different groups of organisms.
Archaeopteryx: Transition between reptiles and birds.
Coelacanth.
Skills
Graphs: Line, bar, pie, histogram.
]Investigative Skills
Aim: The purpose of the investigation.
Hypothesis: A testable prediction.
Variables: Independent (manipulated), Dependent (measured), Controlled (kept constant).
Reliability: Consistency of results.
Validity: Accuracy of the investigation.
Control: Standard of comparison.
Conclusion: Summary of findings.
Skeletal System: Key Bones & Joints
I. Axial Skeleton: (Central support)
Skull: Cranium (braincase) + Facial bones.
Sternum: Breastbone; ribs attach here.
Ribs: Protect thoracic cavity.
Spine (Vertebrae): Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar, Sacrum, Coccyx. Protects spinal cord.
Coccyx: Tailbone
II. Appendicular Skeleton: (Movement)
Clavicle: Collarbone.
Scapula: Shoulder blade.
Humerus: Upper arm bone.
Radius: Forearm bone (thumb side).
Ulna: Forearm bone (pinky side).
Carpals: Wrist bones.
Metacarpals: Hand bones.
Phalanges: Finger/toe bones.
Pelvic Girdle: Hip bones; attaches legs to axial skeleton.
Femur: Thigh bone.
Patella: Kneecap.
Tibia: Shin bone (larger).
Fibula: Lower leg bone (smaller).
Tarsals: Ankle bones.
Metatarsals: Foot bones.
Phalanges: Finger/toe bones.
Molecules for Life
Organic molecules are made up of C, H, and O, and some contain other elements such as N
and P. Cells are made up of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids and vitamins.
Inorganic Compounds - water and mineral salts
Organic Compounds - carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, enzymes, vitamins, nucleic acids
Water
70-95% of cells are made up of water
is a universal solvent
is a transportation medium
is a medium for chemical reactions
is responsible for turgidity in plants
removes waste products
Minerals
macro-nutrients essential elements required by organisms in large quantities
micro- nutrients - essential elements required by organisms in small quantities
Plants obtain minerals from the soil and fertilisers
Animals obtain minerals from the food that they consume
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are molecules found in our food that provides our brains and muscles with
energy. Carbohydrates are composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms.
Carbohydrates can be divided into simple and complex carbohydrates:
Monosaccharides
These sugars cannot be broken down into simpler forms.
They are the building blocks of the more complex sugars.
They dissolve in water.
Some examples are glucose, fructose, galactose.
Test for glucose: Add Benedicts solution to unknown solution. On heating the colour of
solution will change from blue to orange/ brick red indicates the presence of glucose.
Disaccharides
Two monosaccharides that has bonded. Also soluble in water.
For example, sucrose in the diagram on the left.
Sucrose glucose + fructose.
Lactose galactose + glucose
Polysaccharides
Substances like starch (found in plants), cellulose (also found in plants act as dietary fiber),
glycogen (found in liver and muscles of humans, the way we store glucose)
Polysaccharides consist of chains that are made of ten to thousands of monosaccharide
molecules (like building blocks) that are linked together (through bonds in a chain to form the
big molecule.
Test for starch: Iodine turns from brown to blue-black.
Lipids
Lipids are fats and are an important molecule that sustain life. They are found in all cell
membranes in our bodies, are a source of energy, insulate our nerve cells and don't dissolve in
water.
Lipids are composed of a glycerol molecule +three fatty acid chains.
Test for lipids: Fats and oils leave behind a grease spot stain on filter paper.
Cells
Cell Parts
Cell wall
Cell membrane
Nucleus
Cytoplasm
Mitochondrion
Ribosome
Endoplasmic reticulum
Golgi apparatus
Plastids
Vacuoles
Differences Between Plant and Animal Cells
Cell Wall
Centrosome
Vacuoles
Plastids