Characteristics and

classification of living
organisms
1.1 Characteristics of
living organisms
Learning objectives
Students should be able to:
Describe the characteristics of living
organisms by defining the terms:
Movement
Respiration
Sensitivity
Growth
Reproduction
Excretion
Nutrition
MRS. GREN
Movement
Movement is an action by an organism or
part of an organism causing a change of
position or place
Respiration

Respiration consists of
a series of chemical
reactions in cells that
break down nutrient
molecules and release
energy for metabolism
Sensitivity
Sensitivity is the ability to detect or sense stimuli in the
internal or external environment and to make
appropriate responses
Growth
Growth is a permanent increase in size and dry mass by an
increase in cell number or cell size or both
Excretion
Excretion is the removal from organisms of the waste
products of metabolism (chemical reactions in cells
including respiration), toxic materials, and substances in
excess of requirements
Nutrition

Nutrition is the taking in of

materials for energy, growth and
development; plants require
light, carbon dioxide, water and
ions; animals need organic
compounds and ions and usually
need water
Reproduction

Reproduction are
the processes
that make more
of the same kind
of organism
1.2 Concept and use of a
classification system
Learning objectives
Students should be able to:
State that organisms can be classified into
groups by the features that they share
Define species
1.2 Concept and use of
a classification system

Organisms can be
classified into groups by
the features that they
share
A species is a group of
organisms that can
reproduce to produce
fertile offspring
1.2 Concept and use of
a classification system
continued
Learning objectives
Students should be able to:
Define and describe the
binomial system of naming
Explain that classification
systems aim to reflect
evolutionary relationships
Explain that classification
is traditionally based on
studies of morphology and
anatomy
Classification
Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus is famous for
devising systems for naming and grouping all
living organisms
Over the years, Linnaeus revised his
classification system
It grouped all species into higher categories,
known as taxa
Central to this system was binomial
nomenclature
All organisms are classified by only two Latin
words, one denoting its genus, and another its
species
 Classification

Domain
Kingdoms are subdivided into smaller groups:
Phyla ([Link])
Classes
Orders
Families
Genera ([Link])
Species
Did King Phillip Call Out For Good Soup
The Five Kingdom
Classification
All organisms can be
placed into one of five
Kingdoms

Prokaryote
Protoctist
Fungus
Plant
Animal
 Classification
Lion
Kingdom Animal
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Carnivora
Family Felidae
Genus Panthera
Species leo
Classification
Human
Kingdom Animal
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Primata
Family Hominidae
Genus Homo
Species sapiens
 Classification
Sweet pea
Kingdom Plant
Phylum Angiospermae
Class Dicotyledonae
Order Rosales
Family Paplionaceae
Genus Lathyrus
Species odoratus
 1.2 Concept and use of
a classification system
Learning objectives
Students should be able to:
Explain that the sequences of
bases in DNA are used as a more
accurate means of classification
Explain that organisms which
share a more recent ancestor
(are more closely related) have
base sequences in DNA that are
more similar than those that
share only a distant ancestor
Classification systems
Linnaeus' system relied purely on human
judgement in order to compare the
characteristics of various organisms
The sequences of bases in DNA are now used
as a more accurate means of classification
Organisms which share a more recent
ancestor (are more closely related) have
base sequences in DNA that are more
similar than those that share only a distant
ancestor
The elephant, manatee and rock hyrax
share a common ancestor, Tethytheria,
which died out more than 50 million years
ago
Their relationship is not obvious from their
morphology and anatomy
1.3 Features of
organisms
List the features in the
cells of all living
organisms, limited to
ribosomes for protein
synthesis and enzymes
involved in respiration
List the main features
used to place all
organisms into one of
the five kingdoms:
Animal, Plant, Fungus,
Prokaryote, Protoctist
Prokaryote
Consists entirely of
prokaryotic organisms
Bacteria and cyanobacteria
Lack nucleus and
membrane-bound
organelles
Cell walls made of
peptidoglycan/murein
which is a complex mixture
of proteins, sugars and
lipids (not cellulose)
Prokaryote

Consists entirely of
prokaryotic organisms
Bacteria and
cyanobacteria
Lack nucleus and
membrane-bound
organelles
Cell walls made of
murein (not cellulose)
Asexual Reproduction in Bacteria-
Binary Fission
Protoctist
Eukaryotic organisms with unicellular or simple
multicellular structure
Include organisms which will not fit into other
kingdoms
Most important examples are protozoa and algae
Some of the protoctista, e.g. Euglena, possess
chloroplasts and make their food by
photosynthesis.
These protoctista are often referred to as
unicellular ‘plants’ or protophyta.
Organisms such as Amoeba and Paramecium take
in and digest solid food and thus resemble
animals in their feeding. They may be called
unicellular ‘animals’ or protozoa.
Fungus
Eukaryotic organisms, but
dividing cell walls are often
absent, producing long thin
hyphae, which are
multinucleate
Cell walls made from chitin
(not cellulose)
Non-photosynthetic
Feed saprophytically by
secreting enzymes to digest
organic materials outside
their bodies and then absorb
products of digestion
Include yeast, moulds and
mushrooms
Unicellular Fungi- Yeast
Multicellular Fungus- Bread mould-(Rhizopus)
Multicellular Fungus- Bread mould-(Rhizopus)
 Characteristics Prokaryotes Protoctists Fungus
Unicellular/Multicellular Unicellular Unicellular or multicellular Unicellular or multicellular

Cell Wall Murein/peptidoglycan Some have and some don’t Chitin

Cell Membrane Yes Yes Yes
Membrane Bound Organelles e.g None Yes Yes
Nucleus, mitochondria Many nuclei in
multicellular
Autotrophs/Heterotrophs/Sapro-p Some are autotrophs Some are autotrophs Heterotrophs (no
hytes meaning can make meaning can make their chloroplasts) and
their own food as have own food as have Saprophytes meaning they
chloroplast, Some chloroplast, Some rely on dead decaying
heterotrophs meaning heterotrophs meaning they matter for their food by
they can’t make their can’t make their own food releasing enzymes to digest
own food the nutrients.
Reproduction Binary Fission - Unicellular- Budding
Multicellular-Spores
Hyphae present/Absent Absent Absent Present

Examples Bacteria Amoeba, Euglena, Yeast -unicellular

Plasmodium Mushroom- Multicellular
Animals

Eukaryotic and
multicellular
Lack cell walls
Heterotrophic (they
cannot make their own
food)
1.3 Features of
organisms continued
List the main features
used to place organisms
into groups within the
animal kingdom, limited
to: – the main groups
of vertebrates:
mammals, birds,
reptiles, amphibians,
fish
– the main groups of
arthropods: myriapods,
insects, arachnids,
crustaceans
Vertebrates

Animals with a
supporting rod running
along the length of the
body
Classified into five
classes: fish,
amphibians, reptiles,
birds and mammals
Vertebrates
Fish
Fish are poikilothermic
(cold blooded)
vertebrates.
Have skeleton made of
bone
Have fins
Have eyes, no ears
Have gills covered with
bony flap called
operculum
Skin is covered with
scales
produce jelly-covered
eggs in water and male
sheds sperms on them
after they have been laid.
Examples are, cod,
Amphibians
Amphibia are poikilothermic (cold
blooded) vertebrates
Have four limbs, back feet are often
webbed to make swimming more
efficient and no scales
Have soft moist skin with a good
supply of capillaries permeable to O₂
and CO₂ with air and water
Have eyes
Have ears with no external
pinna/auricle
Their life cycle usually includes an
aquatic larval stage with gills
Land-living adults have lungs with no
diaphragm and rib cage present
Females produce jelly-covered eggs
in water
male simultaneously releases sperms
over them. Fertilisation, therefore,
is external
Examples are, frogs, newts and
salamanders
Amphibians
Have four limbs
Have soft skin
permeable to water
Their life cycle usually
includes an aquatic
larval stage with gills
Land-living adults have
lungs
Examples are, frogs,
newts and salamanders
Reptiles
Reptiles are poikilothermic
(cold blooded) but they can
regulate their temperature
to some extent.
Have eyes
Have ears with no external
pinna/auricle
Dry Scaly water-tight skin
Male and female reptiles
mate, and sperms are
passed into the female’s
body. The eggs are,
therefore, fertilised
internally
Produce eggs with rubbery
water proof shells
Have lungs
Examples are, crocodiles,
Reptiles
Scaly water-tight skin
Produce eggs with
shells
Have lungs
Examples are,
crocodiles, lizards,
snakes
Birds
Birds are homoiothermic
(warm blooded)
vertebrates.
Have eyes
Have ears with no
external pinna/auricle
One pair of limbs
modified to form wings
Skin covered with
feathers
Produce eggs with hard
shells
Have lungs
They are endothermic
(capable of the internal
generation of heat.)
Examples are, swallows,
penguins, eagles
Birds
One pair of limbs
modified to form wings
Skin covered with
feathers
Produce eggs with
shells
Have lungs
They are endothermic
(capable of the internal
generation of heat)
Examples are, swallows,
penguins, eagles
Mammals
Mammals are
homoiothermic (warm
blooded) vertebrates)
Have four limbs (reduced
in some marine
mammals)
Have eyes
Have ears with
external pinna/auricle
Skin has hair in follicles
Give birth to live young
Feed the young with milk
Have lungs
They are endothermic
Examples are horses,
dogs, giraffes
Mammals
Have four limbs
(reduced in some
marine mammals)
Skin has hair in
follicles
Give birth to live
young
Feed the young with
milk
Have lungs
They are endothermic
Examples are horses,
dogs, giraffes
Phylum
Arthropods
Animals with jointed
legs, but no backbone
and a waterproof
exoskeleton
Further classified into:
arachnids, myriapods,
insects and
crustaceans
Class
Insects
Mainly terrestrial
Head, thorax abdomen
Compound eyes
Three pairs of
mouthparts
One pair of antennae
Three pairs of legs
Adults usually have
wings
Examples are,
butterflies bees, ants,
beetles
Class
Insects
Mainly terrestrial
Head, thorax
abdomen
Compound eyes
Three pairs of
mouthparts
One pair of antennae
Three pairs of legs
Adults usually have
wings
Examples are,
butterflies bees,
ants, beetles
Class
Crustaceans
Aquatic or live in damp
habitats
The head is not
distinct from the
thorax
Have two pairs of
antennae
Have at least three
pairs of mouthparts
Examples are,
woodlice, crabs,
lobsters
Class Crustaceans
Aquatic or live in damp
habitats
The head is not distinct
from the thorax
Have two pairs of antennae
which are sensitive to
touch and to chemicals
Compound eyes are made
up of tens or hundreds of
separate lenses with
light-sensitive cells
beneath.
Have at least three pairs of
mouthparts
Examples are, woodlice,
Class
Arachnids
Mainly terrestrial
Body divided into two
parts
No antennae
No true mouthparts
Four pairs of walking legs
One pair of appendages to
capture prey
Examples are, scorpions,
spiders
Class Arachnids
Mainly terrestrial
Their bodies are divided
into two regions, the
cephalothorax and the
abdomen
No antennae
No true mouthparts
They have four pairs of
limbs on the
cephalothorax
two chelicerae
(sheh·luh·see·ray) often
specialized as fangs.
One pair of appendages
called pedipalps to
capture prey
Examples are, scorpions,
spiders
Class
Myriapods
Terrestrial
Have distinct head
One pair of antennae
One pair of mouthparts
Have numerous similar
limbs in pairs
Examples are,
centipedes, millipedes
Class
Myriapods
Terrestrial
Have distinct head
One pair of antennae
Simple eye
One pair of mouthparts
Have numerous similar
limbs in pairs
Examples are,
centipedes(carnivorous)
,
millipedes(herbivorous)
in the millipede the
abdominal segments are
fused in pairs and it
looks as if it has two
pairs of legs per
Plants

Eukaryotic and
multicellular
Photosynthetic
Cellulose cell walls
1.3 Features of
organisms continued

List the main features

used to place organisms
into groups within the
plant kingdom, limited
to ferns and flowering
plants (dicotyledons
and monocotyledons)
Ferns
Ferns are land plants
with quite highly
developed structures.
Their stems, leaves
and roots are very
similar to those of the
flowering plants
Ferns are members of a
group of vascular
plants (plants with xylem
and phloem)
They reproduce via spores
which are found on the
underside of the
fronds and have
neither seeds nor flowers
Flowering
plants

Cotyledon
• A cotyledon is a significant part of the
embryo within the seed of a plant, and
is defined as "the embryonic leaf in
seed-bearing plants, one or more of
which are the first to appear from a
germinating seed."
• The number of cotyledons present is
one characteristic used by botanists to
classify the flowering plants.
Flowering
plants
Flowering plants can be
sub-divided into
monocotyledonous plants
and dicotyledonous plants
Monocotyledonous plants
have strap-shaped leaves
with parallel veins and have
only one cotyledon inside
each seed
Dicotyledonous plants have
leaves which can be broad,
and which have a network of
branching veins and have
two cotyledons inside each
seed
Flowering plants
1.3 Features of
organisms continued

List the features of

viruses, limited to
protein coat and
genetic material
Viruses
Viruses are not living
organisms
They are not cells
Viruses consist of nucleic
acid surrounded by a
protein coat called a
capsid
These two components
are called a virion
Viruses
Viruses invade
cells and use their
DNA and protein
synthesis
mechanisms to
make more
capsids and
virions
The new viruses
then leave the
host cell
1.4
Simple dichotomous
keys

Construct and use

simple dichotomous
keys based on easily
identifiable features
1.4
Simple dichotomous
keys

A dichotomous keys is a
set of paired contrasting
descriptions which leads
to through to the
identification of an
unknown organism
Answers in Correct order- E A B D C
Answers in Correct order- C D G E F A