Characteristics and classification of living organisms Flashcards
What must all living organisms do
Movement
Respiration
Sensitivity
Growth
Reproduction
Excretion
Nutrition
Definition of movement
An action caused by the organism to change position or place
Definition of respiration
The chemical reactions that break down nutrient molecules in living cells to release energy for metabolism
Definition of sensitivity
The ability of an organism to detect changes in the environment
Definition of growth
a permanent increase in size and dry mass by an increase in cell number or cell size or both
Definition of reproduction
the processes that make more of the same kind of organism
Definition of excretion
the removal from organisms of toxic materials, the waste products of metabolism (chemical reactions in cells including respiration) and substances in excess of requirements
Definition of nutrition
the taking in of materials for energy, growth and development; plants require light, carbon dioxide, water and ions; animals need organic compounds, ions and usually need water
Definition of species
A group of organisms that can reproduce to give birth to fertile offspring
In the bi-nominal system, what letter case is the genus and species
Genus is capital
Species is lower-case
What is the sequence of classification
Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species
Characteristics of mammals
Hair Four-chambered heart Placenta mammary glands Different types of teeth
Characteristics of birds
Feathers four chambered heart wings beak lay eggs with hard shells
Characteristics of amphibians
Smooth skin
lay eggs with no shells in water
Characteristics of fish
Scales, lay eggs with no shells in water
Characteristics of reptiles
Scales
Lay soft-shelled eggs on land
Characteristics of arthropods
jointed legs
segmented bodies
Characteristics of arachnids
body divided into head and cephalothorax
four pairs of jointed legs
Characteristics of insects
Body divided into head, thorax and abdomen
six jointed legs attached to the thorax
four wings attached to the thorax
Characteristics of crustaceans
More than four pairs of jointed legs
Hard shell
Characteristics of myriapods
Many similar segments each with at least one pair of jointed legs
Characteristics of animal kingdom
Cells with no cell walls
multicellular
feed on organic substances made by other organisms
Characteristics of plant kindgom
Cells with cell walls
multicellular
make their own organic substances from inorganic ones, by photosynthesis
Characteristics of fungus kingdom
Cells with cell walls not made of cellulose
multi-cellular and single-celled
feed on dead or decaying organic material
Characteristics of protoctist kingdom
Single celled organisms with a nucleus
some have cell walls and chloroplasts and some do not
Characteristics of prokaryote kingdom
single-celled organisms, with no nucleus, mitochondria, or endoplasmic reticulum
have a cell wall but are not made from cellulose
Groups within the plant kingdom
ferns
flowering plants
Groups within flowering plants
Monocotyledons
dicotyledons
What are monocotyledons
They have seeds containing one cotyledon
their flowers are usually in sets of three
Their leaves are often strap shaped with parallel veins
they often have a branching root system
What are dicotyledons
They have seeds containing two cotyledons
their flowers usually have parts in sets of four or five
their leaves are often broad, with a network of veins
They often have a tap root
What are ferns
they have leaves called fronds and reproduce with spores that grow on the back of the fronds
What are flowering plants
These are plants which have flowers and seeds for reproduction
How do biologists classify organisms
By using morphology - the overall structure of the organism
Anatomy - the more detailed structure like positions and shapes of organisms
Sequences of amino acids that make up proteins
sequences of bases that make up DNA
