General Stuff Flashcards
Characteristics of plants
- multicellular
- contain chloroplasts and cellulose cell walls
- autotrophic
- store carbs as starch or sucrose
- e.g. cereals (maize) or herbaceous legumes (peas and beans)
Characteristics of animals
- multicellular (cell around 20-40μm long)
- no chloroplasts or cell wall
- heterotrophic
- store carbohydrates as glycogen
- usually have nervous co-ordination and are able to move from one place to another
- e.g. mammals (humans), insects (mosquitoes)
Characteristics of protoctista
- unicellular, microscopic
- all have a cell membrane, cytoplasm and nucleus (some have chloroplasts)
- hetero/autotrophic
- eg. Chlorella (auto), Amoeba (Hetero), plasmodium (causes malaria)
Characteristics of fungi
- multi/uni cellular
- no chloroplasts, cells walls made of chitin
- heterotrophic (saprotrophic)
- store carbs as glycogen
- body is organised into thread like hyphae which make up mycelium. Each hyphae contains many nuclei
- can be pathogenic
- e.g. yeast (uni), Mucor (multi)
Characteristics of bacteria
- unicellular, microscopic
- simple cell structure with a cell wall, cell membrane and cytoplasm
- cell wall is made up of polysaccharides and proteins
- no nucleus, large circular chromosome of DNA and many plasmids
- some have capsule/slime layer
- some have flagella
- most hetero (living and dead), some auto trophic
- very small relative to other kingdoms
- e.g. Lactobacillus bulgaricus (rod-shaped), Pneumococcus (round)
Characteristics of viruses
- NOT A CELL, a particle- smaller than bacteria
- genetic material surrounded by a protein coat
- some surround by an envelope (protein coat)
- parasitic, only reproduce inside living cells
- infect all kingdoms
- e.g. influenza, tobacco mosaic (stops leave producing chloroplast, causing discolouration), HIV
What is a plasmid
Circular loop of DNA
Why is organisation of multicellular organisms important
Allows an efficient system for exchanging and transporting materials
Define atom
the smallest particle of a chemical element that can exist
Define molecule
A group of atoms bonded together; the smallest fundamental unit of a chemical compound that can take part in a chemical reaction
Define macromolecule
A molecule containing a very large number of atoms
Define organelle
Structures that carry out specific processes that cells need to survive
Define cell
Smallest functional unit of life; capable of independent existence
Define tissue
Collection of similar cells that perform a common function
Define organ
A collection of tissues working together to perform a particular function
