Common Features: Eukaryotic + Prokaryotic Organisms

Question 1

What are the five kingdoms of living organisms?

Answer 1

Animals
Plants
Fungi
Protoctists
Prokaryotes

Question 2

Which kingdoms can be classified as eukaryotic organisms?

Answer 2

Animals, plants, fungi and protoctists

Question 3

Describe the cell inside of a eukaryotic organism and/or if they are multicellular or single-celled

Answer 3

Eukaryotic organisms can be multicellular or single-celled and are made up of cells that contain a nucleus with a distinct membrane.

Question 4

What is a eukaryotic organism?

Answer 4

A eukaryotic organism is an organism that has cells that contain a nucleus with a distinct membrane.

Question 5

What is a prokaryotic organism?

Answer 5

Prokaryotic organisms are organisms that are always single-celled and their cells do not contain a nucleus (instead, the nuclear material of prokaryotic cells is found in the cytoplasm).

Question 6

Give an example of a prokaryotic organism

Answer 6

Bacteria are prokaryotic organisms

Question 7

Describe the size of prokaryotic cells in comparison to eukaryotic cells.

Answer 7

Prokaryotic cells are substantially smaller than eukaryotic cells

Question 8

What are the 8 main features of animals?

Answer 8

They are multicellular
Their cells contain a nucleus with a distinct membrane
Their cells do not have cellulose cell walls
Their cells do not contain chloroplasts (so they are unable to carry out photosynthesis)
They feed on organic substances made by other living things
They often store carbohydrates as glycogen
They usually have nervous coordination
They are able to move from place to place

Question 9

What is the function of the nucleus?

Answer 9

It contains the genetic material (DNA) which controls the activities of the cell.

Question 10

What is the cytoplasm and what are it’s functions?

Answer 10

A GEL-LIKE SUBSTANCE COMPOSED OF WATER AND DISSOLVED SOLUTES
• SUPPORTS INTERNAL CELL
STRUCTURES
• SITE OF MANY CHEMICAL REACTIONS, INCLUDING ANAEROBIC RESPIRATION

Question 11

What is the function of the cell membrane?

Answer 11

HOLDS THE CELL TOGETHER, SEPARATING THE INSIDE OF THE CELL FROM THE OUTSIDE
• CONTROLS WHICH SUBSTANCE CAN
ENTER AND LEAVE THE CELL

Question 12

Where are the ribosomes found and what is their function?

Answer 12

FOUND IN THE CYTOPLASM
• SITE OF PROTEIN SYNTHESIS

Question 13

What is the function of the mitochondria?

Answer 13

SITE OF MOST OF THE REACTIONS INVOLVED IN AEROBIC RESPIRATION, WHERE ENERGY IS RELEASED TO FUEL CELLULAR PROCESSES.

Question 14

What are the 7 main features of plants?

Answer 14

They are multicellular
Their cells contain a nucleus with a distinct membrane
Their cells have cell walls made out of cellulose
Their cells contain chloroplasts (so they can carry out photosynthesis)
They feed by photosynthesis
They store carbohydrates as starch or sucrose
They do not have nervous coordination

Question 15

Describe the cell wall and its function

Answer 15

MADE OF CELLULOSE (A POLYMER
OF GLUCOSE)
• GIVES THE CELL EXTRA SUPPORT, DEFINING ITS SHAPE
IS NOT FOUND IN ANIMAL CELLS BUT IS FOUND IN PROTOCTISTS, FUNGI AND PLANT CELLS

Question 16

Describe the chloroplasts and their function

Answer 16

• CONTAINS GREEN CHLOROPHYLL
  PIGMENTS (TO ABSORB LIGHT
  ENERGY) AND THE ENZYMES NEEDED FOR PHOTOSYNTHESIS
• ARE NOT FOUND IN ANIMAL CELLS BUT ARE FOUND IN PLANT AND SOME PROTOCTIST CELLS

Question 17

Describe a permanent vacuole and it’s functions

Answer 17

CONTAINS CELL SAP; A SOLUTION OF SUGARS AND SALTS DISSOLVED IN WATER
• USED FOR STORAGE OF CERTAIN
MATERIALS
• ALSO HELPS SUPPORT THE SHAPE OF THE CELL
- IS FOUND ONLY IN PLANT CELLS

Question 18

What are the 9 main features of fungi?

Answer 18

They are usually multicellular but some are single-celled (e.g. yeast)
Multicellular fungi are mainly made up of thread-like structures known as hyphae that contain many nuclei and are organised into a network known as a mycelium
Their cells contain a nucleus with a distinct membrane
Their cells have cell walls made of chitin (chitinous cell walls)
Their cells do not contain chloroplasts (so they cannot carry out photosynthesis)
They feed by secreting extracellular digestive enzymes (outside the mycelium) onto the food (usually decaying organic matter) and then absorbing the digested molecules. This method of feeding is known as saprotrophic nutrition
Some fungi are parasitic and feed on living material
Some fungi store carbohydrates as glycogen
They do not have nervous coordination

Question 19

Give 3 examples of fungi

Answer 19

Examples of fungi include: moulds, mushrooms, yeasts

Question 20

What are the 7 main features of protoctists?

Answer 20

The protoctists are a very diverse kingdom of organisms that don’t really belong in any of the other eukaryotic kingdoms (animals, plants and fungi)
They are mainly microscopic and single-celled but some aggregate (group together) into larger forms, such as colonies or chains of cells that form filaments
Their cells contain a nucleus with a distinct membrane
Some have features making them more like animal cells e.g. Plasmodium (the protoctist that causes malaria)
Some have features, such as cell walls and chloroplasts, making them more like plant cells e.g. green algae, such as Chlorella
This means some protoctists photosynthesise and some feed on organic substances made by other living things
They do not have nervous coordination

Question 21

Give 4 examples of protoctists

Answer 21

Examples of protoctists include: amoeba, Paramecium, Plasmodium, Chlorella

Question 22

What are the four following characteristics of bacteria?

Answer 22

They are microscopic single-celled organisms
They have a cell wall (not made of cellulose - made from peptidoglycan), cell membrane, cytoplasm and plasmids
They lack a nucleus but contain a circular chromosome of DNA
They lack mitochondria and other membrane-bound organelles found in eukaryotic cells

Question 23

Give 2 examples of bacteria and describe them

Answer 23

Lactobacillus (a rod-shaped bacterium used in the production of yoghurt from milk)
Pneumococcus (a spherical bacterium that acts as the pathogen causing pneumonia)

Question 24

Describe the ways in which bacteria feed

Answer 24

Some bacteria can carry out photosynthesis despite having no chloroplasts. This is because they still possess chlorophyl and enzymes necessary to synthesize sugars from carbon dioxide.
Most feed on other living or dead organisms (if they feed on dead organic matter then they are known as saprobionts or decomposers)

Question 25

What do we call organisms that consume dead organic matter?

Answer 25

Saprobionts or decomposers

Question 26

Do eukaryotes have a cell membrane?

Answer 26

Yes

Question 27

Do prokaryotes have a cell membrane?

Answer 27

Yes

Question 28

Do eukaryotes have a cytoplasm?

Answer 28

Yes

Question 29

Do prokaryotes have a cytoplasm?

Answer 29

Yes

Question 30

Do eukaryotes have genetic material and where is it?

Answer 30

Yes - in a nucleus

Question 31

Do prokaryotes have genetic material and where is it?

Answer 31

Yes - in the cytoplasm

Question 32

Do eukaryotes have a nucleus?

Answer 32

Yes

Question 33

Do prokaryotes have a nucleus?

Answer 33

No

Question 34

Do eukaryotes have a cell wall?

Answer 34

Some types

Question 35

Do prokaryotes have a nucleus and if yes what is it made out of?

Answer 35

Yes - made from peptidoglycan