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1 Characteristics and Classification of Living Organisms

The document discusses the classification of living organisms. It outlines the seven characteristics of living organisms: movement, respiration, sensitivity, growth, reproduction, excretion and nutrition. It then describes the hierarchical classification system used to group organisms into kingdoms, phyla, classes etc. based on shared characteristics. The five kingdoms - Animals, Plants, Fungi, Prokaryotes and Protists - are defined along with examples of organisms from each kingdom.

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Tumbikani Yamikani E Njovu
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184 views6 pages

1 Characteristics and Classification of Living Organisms

The document discusses the classification of living organisms. It outlines the seven characteristics of living organisms: movement, respiration, sensitivity, growth, reproduction, excretion and nutrition. It then describes the hierarchical classification system used to group organisms into kingdoms, phyla, classes etc. based on shared characteristics. The five kingdoms - Animals, Plants, Fungi, Prokaryotes and Protists - are defined along with examples of organisms from each kingdom.

Uploaded by

Tumbikani Yamikani E Njovu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Characteristics and Classification

of Living Organisms
Characteristics of Living Organisms
MRS GREN

 Movement: an action by an organism or part of an organism causing a change of

position or place

 Respiration: the chemical reactions in cells that break down nutrient molecules and

release energy for metabolism

 Sensitivity: the ability to detect and respond to changes in the internal or external

environment

 Growth: a permanent increase in size and dry mass

 Reproduction: the processes that make more of the same kind of organism

 Excretion: the removal of the waste products of metabolism and substances in

excess of requirements

 Nutrition: the taking in of materials for energy, growth and development

Concept and Uses of Classification System


 Organisms are classified into groups by the features they share.

 Sequence of classification: Kingdom → Phylum → Class → Order → Family →

Genus → Species

 Species are a group of organisms which can reproduce to produce fertile

offspring.

 The Binomial System of Naming Species is an internationally agreed system in

which the scientific name of an organism comprises two parts showing the genus

and species.

 The format is Genus species. The genus is capitalized, and the species are not.
 The classification of organisms helps show the evolutionary relationships between

them.

 Scientists also use the DNA base sequence to help classify organisms.

 The similarity in DNA chains shows how closely related two organisms are.

 Dichotomous keys use visible features to classify organisms. They give you a choice

of two features, and you follow the one that applies: each choice leads to another

choice until the organism is narrowed down to its genus and, finally, species.

The Five Kingdoms


 Animals: Multicellular ingestive heterotrophs (eat living organisms). Ex: cat, ladybird,

newt, etc.

 Plants: Multicellular photosynthetic autotrophic (make their food) organism with a

cellulose cell wall and chloroplasts. Ex: cactus, oak tree.

 Fungi: Single-celled or multicellular heterotrophic organisms with cell walls not made

of cellulose, spread by spreading spores in moist/dark/warm environments. Most

have hyphae and mycelium in structure. Ex: yeast, mushrooms.

 Prokaryotes: Single-celled organisms with no true nucleus or DNA in the cytoplasm.

Many also have plasmids. Ex: E.coli, Salmonella.

 Protocists: Single-celled organism with a nucleus. Eukaryotes. Some are

multicellular. Ex: Amoeba, seaweed.

Main features of all animals:

 multicellular

 contains a nucleus but no cell walls or chloroplasts

 only feed on organic substances made by other living things

Animal Kingdom
 Mammals

o Fur/hair on the skin


o External ears (pinna)

o Internal fertilisation, giving the birth of young

o Mammary glands

 Reptiles

o Thick, dry, scaly skin

o Usually 4 legs

o Internal fertilisation, birth from egg

o Soft eggs

 Fish

o Wet scales

o Streamlined body shape

o External fertilisation and soft eggs

o Uses gills to breathe

 Amphibians

o Smooth, moist skin

o External fertilisation and soft eggs

o Gills & Lungs can live on land and water

o Most have 4 legs

 Birds

o Feathers on body and scales on legs

o Constant internal body temperature

o Hard eggs

o Internal fertilisation, birth through eggs

Arthropods
Invertebrates are organisms that do not have a backbone.
All arthropods have three standard features:

1. Exoskeleton

2. Jointed legs

3. Segmented body

 Crustaceans: (e.g. crabs)

o Have an exoskeleton 1 pair of compound eyes

o 3 body segments – head, thorax, abdomen

o More than four pairs of legs (10-14 legs)

 Arachnids: (e.g. spiders)

o 2 body segments – cephalothorax and abdomen

o Four pairs of legs (8 legs)

 Myriapods: (e.g. centipedes)

o Segmented body

o Additional segments formed

o One pair of antennae

o 10+ pairs of legs – 1 or 2 pairs on each segment

 Insects: (e.g. bees)

o 3 body segments – head, thorax and abdomen

o 3 pairs of jointed legs (6 legs)

o 1 pair of antennae

o 1 or 2 pairs of wings

Classification of Plants
In IGCSE Biology, the plant kingdom is classified into ferns and flowering plants.

 Ferns:

o Do not produce flowers/seeds


o They are plants with roots, stems and feathery leaves

o Reproduce by spores

 Flowering plants:

o They are plants with roots, stems and leaves

o Reproduce sexually by means of flowers and seeds

o Seeds are produced inside the ovary in the flower

Monocotyledons Dicotyledons
One cotyledon/One-seed leaf Two cotyledons/Two-seed leaf
Parallel veins Branching veins
Long Narrow Leaf Broad leaves
3 Flower Parts 4 or 5 Flower Parts
Scattered Vascular Bundles Ringed Vascular Bundles

Viruses
 Viruses are not part of any classification system due to not being considered living

things.

 They do not carry out the seven life processes for themselves; instead, they take

over a host cell’s metabolic pathways to make multiple copies of themselves.

 Virus structure contains only a genetic material (RNA or DNA) inside a protein

coat.

 Example of virus structure below (No mitochondria or ribosomes)

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