Biology study paper
#1 An introduction to living organisms
1. What is Biology?
The study of living organisms divided into many specialized fields that cover
their morphology, physiology, anatomy, behavior, origin and distribution?
2. What are the seven characteristics living organisms have in common?
• Nutrition (feeding): the process by which living organisms obtain or make
food.
Animals take in ready-made food and are called heterotrophs. Plants make their
own food and are called autotrophs.
• Respiration: the process by which energy is released from food by all living
cells.
Aerobic respiration requires oxygen and takes place in most cells. Anaerobic
respiration takes place without oxygen in certain cells.
• Excretion: the process by which waste and harmful substances, produced by
the body’s metabolism, are removed from the body.
• Movement: a change in the position of a whole organism or of parts of an
organism. Most animals can move their whole bodies from place to place.
Plants and some animals can only move parts of their bodies.
• Irritability (sensitivity): the ability of organisms to detect and respond to
changes in their environment or within themselves.
• Growth: a permanent increase in the size and complexity of an organism.
• Reproduction: the process by which living organisms generate new
individuals of the same kind as themselves. Asexual reproduction requires only
one parent. Sexual reproduction requires two parents.
3. What are simple classifications of living organisms done based on?
Using similarities and differences between living organisms they can be
classified into groups. Simple classifications can be done based on visible
characteristics such as number of legs, number of body parts, number of wings,
presence or absence of antennae, hairiness, shape, arrangement of veins in a
leaf or an insect’s wing. Scientists also use internal structures, developmental
patterns, life cycles and electron microscopic techniques to classify organisms.
In addition, the modern classification uses the molecular structure of
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to assist in grouping organisms; the greater the
similarity in their DNA structure, the more closely related are the organisms.
4. What is the basic category of classification? The basic category of
classification is the species
5. What is A species?
A species is a group of organisms of common ancestry that closely resemble
each other and are normally capable of interbreeding to produce fertile
offspring
6. NB: Closely related species are then grouped into genera (singular genus).
Related genera are then grouped into families, related families into orders,
orders into classes, classes into phyla and phyla are grouped into kingdoms.
i.e. species genera families orders classes phyla kingdoms
7. How many kingdoms are in the modern classification? Five (5)
8. Which kingdoms have cells that lack true membrane bound nuclei, so their
DNA is free in the cells?
Prokaryote
9. What are eukaryotes?
An organism consisting of a cell or cells in which the genetic material is DNA
in the form of chromosomes contained within a distinct nucleus. Eukaryotes
include all living organisms other than the eubacteria and archaea.
10.What are viruses?
Viruses make up a group of organisms without any cellular structure. They are
particles made up of a piece of DNA or RNA surrounded by a protein coat and
they can only reproduce inside other living cells. Viruses are not included in the
five-kingdom classification
11.What are the five family Kingdoms?
Prokaryotae
Bacteria and blue-green algae
• Unicellular organisms
• Cells have a cell wall
• Cells lack a true nucleus, the DNA is free in the cell
• Cells lack other membrane-bound organelles, e.g. mitochondria, chloroplasts
• Most feed by absorbing food
e.g. tuberculosis (TB) bacterium
Protoctista
Includes the protozoa and algae
• Most are unicellular, some are simple multicellular organisms that lack any
complex development of tissues and organs
• Cells have a true nucleus surrounded by a membrane and other membrane-
bound organelles
• Protozoans are animal-like and ingest food or absorb food
• Algae are plant-like, contain chlorophyll and make their own food by
photosynthesis e.g. Amoeba, Paramecium, Euglena, Sargassum (seaweed)
Fungi
Includes yeasts, moulds and mushrooms
• Most are multicellular with a body composed of microscopic threads called
hyphae, a few are unicellular
• Cells have cell walls that contain chitin
• Cells lack chlorophyll
• Most reproduce by spores
• Feed by absorbing food
e.g. pin mould
Plantae (plants)
• Multicellular organisms
• Cells have cell walls made of cellulose
• Cells contain chlorophyll
• Make their own food by photosynthesis
• Stationary organisms
(see Figure 1.2, below)
Animalia (animals)
• Multicellular organisms • Cells lack cell walls and chlorophyll
• Feed by ingesting food
• Most move their whole bodies from place to place
(see Figure 1.3, below
12.What are the main groups of plants (The plant Kingdoms)?
Bryophytes
• Have simple stems and leaves
• Have root-like filaments called rhizoids
• Produce spores for reproduction
• Live in damp, shady places e.g. moss, liverwort
Ferns
• Have proper roots, stems and leaves called fronds
• Produce spores on the underside of fronds for reproduction
e.g. breadfruit fern, maidenhair fern
Conifers
• Have proper roots, stems and leaves
• Leaves are usually needle-shaped
• Produce seeds inside cones for reproduction
e.g. pine, fir
Flowering plants
• Have proper roots, stems and leaves
• Produce seeds inside fruits that develop from ovaries of flowers for
reproduction
Monocotyledons
• Leaves have straight, parallel veins and are usually long and narrow
• Seeds contain one cotyledon (seed leaf)
• Flower parts are in multiples of three
e.g. sugar cane, guinea grass
Dicotyledons
• Leaves have a network of veins and are usually broad
• Seeds contain two cotyledons
• Flower parts are in multiples of four or five
e.g. pride of Barbados, Flamboyant
13.What are the main groups of animals (The animal Kingdom)?
Porifera (sponges)
• Stationary organisms
• Lack tissues and organs
• Body contains a single cavity with many pores in its walls making a system of
water canals e.g. barrel sponge, vase sponge
Cnidaria
• Have a bag- or umbrella-shaped body
• Gut has only one opening, the mouth
• Have a ring of tentacles around the mouth
e.g. sea anemone, coral, jellyfish
Platyhelminthes (flatworms)
• Have a long, flat, unsegmented body e.g. tapeworm, liver fluke
Nematode (roundworms)
• Have an elongated, round, unsegmented body with pointed ends e.g.
hookworm, threadworm
Annelids (segmented worms)
• Have an elongated body divided into segments e.g. earthworm Arthropods
• Have a waterproof exoskeleton (external skeleton) made mainly of chitin •
Have a segmented body
• Have several pairs of jointed legs
Molluscs
• Have a soft, moist, unsegmented body
• Have a muscular foot
• Many have shells e.g. slug, snail, octopus
Echinoderms
• Have a body based on a radial pattern of five parts
• Body wall contains calcium carbonate plates, often with projecting spines
• Have tube feet with suction pads for movement e.g. starfish, sand dollar, sea
urchin
Chordates
• Have a notochord (rod) running down the body, most have a backbone
• Have a dorsal nerve cord with the anterior end usually enlarged forming the
brain
• Most have an internal skeleton of bone and cartilage
Crustaceans
• Have two pairs of antennae
• Usually have five or seven pairs of legs
• Body is divided into head, thorax and abdomen or cephalothorax and
abdomen
e.g. lobster, shrimp, crab, woodlouse
Arachnids
• Have no antennae
• Have four pairs of legs
• Body is divided into cephalothorax and abdomen
e.g. spider, tick, scorpion
Insects
• Have one pair of antennae
• Have three pairs of legs
• Body is divided into head, thorax and abdomen
• Have a pair of compound eyes
• Most have two pairs of wings e.g. cockroach, moth, ant, house fly
Myriapods
• Have one pair of antennae
• Have many pairs of legs
• Body is elongated and divided into many segments e.g. centipede, millipede
Pisces (fish)
• Have a waterproof skin covered with scales • Have gills for breathing
• Have fins for swimming
e.g. barracuda, flying fish, shark
Amphibians
• Have a soft, moist, non-waterproof skin without scales
• Eggs are laid in water, larvae live in water, adults live on land
• Larvae have gills, adults have lungs e.g. frog, toad, newt
Reptiles
• Have a dry, waterproof skin with scales
• Lay eggs with a rubbery shell on land e.g. snake, lizard, iguana, turtle
Aves (birds)
• Have a waterproof skin with feathers
• Have a beak and no teeth
• Forelimbs are modified to form wings
• Lay eggs with a hard shell
• Are homeothermic (warm blooded) e.g. sparrow, cattle egret, hawk
Mammals
• Have a waterproof skin with hair and sweat glands
• Have different types of teeth
• Young feed on milk from their mother
• Are homeothermic e.g. mouse. whale, human
