chap 1

• Characteristics of Living Organisms:

  • Movement: an action causing a change of position or place
  • Respiration: chemical reactions in cells breaking down nutrient molecules and releasing energy
  • Sensitivity: ability to detect and respond to changes in the environment
  • Growth: permanent increase in size and dry mass
  • Reproduction: processes that make more of the same kind of organism
  • Excretion: removal of waste products of metabolism and substances in excess
  • Nutrition: taking in materials for energy, growth, and development
• Organisms are classified into groups based on shared features

  • Species: group of organisms that can reproduce to produce fertile offspring
  • Sequence of classification: Kingdom → Phylum → Classes → Orders → Families → Genus → Species
  • Binomial System of Naming Species: Genus species format, with the genus capitalized
  • Classification helps show evolutionary relationships
  • DNA base sequence used to classify organisms based on similarity
  • Dichotomous keys use visible features to classify organisms
• The Five Kingdoms:

  • Animals: Multicellular ingestive heterotrophs
  • Plants: Multicellular photosynthetic autotrophs with cellulose cell walls and chloroplasts
  • Fungi: Single-celled or multicellular heterotrophs with non-cellulose cell walls, spread by spores
  • Prokaryotes: Single-celled organisms with no true nucleus or DNA in the cytoplasm
  • Protists: Single-celled organisms with a nucleus, some multicellular
• Features of All Animals:

  • Multicellular
  • Contains a nucleus but no cell walls or chloroplasts
  • Feed on organic substances made by other living things
• Vertebrates:

  • Mammals: Fur/hair, external ears, internal fertilisation, mammary glands
  • Reptiles: Thick, dry, scaly skin, usually four legs, internal fertilisation
  • Fish: Wet scales, streamlined body shape, external fertilisation, gills for breathing
  • Amphibians: Smooth, moist skin, external fertilisation