EARTH & LIFE

SCIENCE

QUARTER 2
MODULE 3
JAPET S. UTED
TEACHER

NAME OF STUDENT:
I. OBJECTIVES

At the end of this module, you are expected to:

 Describe the general and unique characteristics of the different organ systems in
representative animals.
 Analyze and appreciate the functional relationships of the different organ systems in ensuring
animal survival.
 Explain how populations of organisms have changed and continue to change over time
showing patterns of descent with modification from common ancestors to produce the
organismal diversity observed today.
 Describe how the present system of classification of organisms is based on evolutionary
relationships
 Categorize the different biotic potential and environmental resistance (e.g. diseases,
availability of food, and predators) that affect population explosion.

II. DISCUSSION

Chapter 11. Animal Organ Systems

Organ Systems and Their Main Functions

Organ systems are the most complex organizations in the human body. Each system has its
specific function, but it works with the other organ systems to ensure the organism's survival.

The 11 organ systems of the body are the respiratory, circulatory, skeletal, muscular, digestive,
reproductive, integumentary, lymphatic, excretory, endocrine, and nervous.

The respiratory system is responsible for supplying the blood with oxygen.

The circulatory system distributes O2, hormones, and nutrients to every part of the body.
The skeletal system provides the framework and protection of body parts by encasing vital organs
with hard bones.

The muscular system helps the body move from one position to another. It also helps circulate the
blood throughout the body.

The digestive system converts food into usable energy in the form of ATP.
The reproductive system enables the organism to reproduce to ensure the survival of the species.

The integumentary system protects the body from damage, such as abrasion and loss of water.
The lymphatic system transports lymph, which contains infection-fighting white blood cells,
throughout the body.

The excretory system removes wastes and excess, unnecessary materials from the body fluids to
maintain internal balance and prevent organ damage.

The endocrine system produces hormones that regulate metabolism, growth, and development.
The nervous system coordinates the voluntary and involuntary actions of the body. Together with the
endocrine system, it controls and regulates other organ systems to maintain the equilibrium of the
body.

RELATIONSHIPS OF ORGAN SYSTEMS

Processing and Transport of Nutrients

In humans, food is the main source of energy. It enters the body through the digestive system
which breaks it down into nutrients. The muscular system helps to move the food to different organs
of the digestive system. For example, muscles around the stomach contract and move food to the
small intestine.

When the food is broken down into nutrients, these nutrients are transported to different
organs and tissues through the circulatory system. Nutrients from the small intestine enter the blood
vessels and are then transported by the blood throughout the body.

Transport of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide

Oxygen enters the body through the respiratory system. This system, together with the
circulatory system, delivers oxygen to every cell in the body. As you inhale, the oxygen goes directly
into the lungs, specifically in the alveoli where there are capillaries that serve as sites of gas
exchange. The capillaries connect to larger blood vessels that transport oxygen to the rest of the
body.

Removal of Wastes

Food is processed by the digestive system. After nutrients are absorbed through digestion, the
excretory system removes waste products in the form of urine and feces.

The organs of the excretory system are also parts of other organ systems. For example, the skin
is part of the integumentary system. It is also part of the excretory system because it removes liquid
waste in the form of sweat. Similarly, the lungs are part of the respiratory system. They remove carbon
dioxide from the body, so they are also part of the excretory system.

Maintenance of Homeostasis

The nervous system serves as the control center for maintaining homeostasis in the body.
Homeostasis is the property of a system in which an internal factor (e.g. body temperature) is
regulated to maintain a stable condition despite changes in external conditions. If there are
disruptions of the internal factor, the nervous system sends out signals to other systems to correct the
disruption. For instance, it sends signals to the endocrine system which secretes hormones to regulate
body functions. These hormones are delivered to the target organs through the circulatory system.

The failure of any of the organ systems may lead to the malfunction of other systems and the death
of the organism.
 The nervous and muscular systems work together. When a nerve impulse reaches the muscle
fibers, it stimulates a reaction that results in the contraction of each muscle cell.

QUESTIONS

1. What happens when the muscular system malfunctions? Would it affect the nervous system?

2. How about when the nervous system malfunctions? Would it affect the muscular system?

What do you think?

1. Does the failure of the reproductive system cause a major effect on other organ systems?

Chapter 12: Evolution and Its Evidence

The study of evolution can be performed on different scales. Microevolution reflects changes
in DNA sequences and allele frequencies within a species over time. These changes may be due to
mutations, which can introduce new alleles into a population. Besides, new alleles can be
introduced in a population by gene flow, which occurs during breeding between two populations
that carry unique alleles. In contrast with microevolution, macroevolution reflects large-scale
changes at the species level, which result from the accumulation of numerous small changes on the
microevolutionary scale. An example of macroevolution is the evolution of a new species. One
mechanism that drives evolution is natural selection, which is a process that increases the frequency
of advantageous alleles in a population. Natural selection results in organisms that are more likely to
survive and reproduce. Another driving force behind evolution is genetic drift, which describes
random fluctuations in allele frequencies in a population. Eventually, genetic drift can cause a
subpopulation to become genetically distinct from its original population. Indeed, over a long period
of time, genetic drift and the accumulation of other genetic changes can result in speciation, which
is the evolution of a new species.

What are the different evidences that supports evolution?

Homology
 Similarities between anatomical structures of organisms provided a basis for evolution. The
term used for similar characteristics shared by organisms is called homology.

A common ancestor may be present when different animals share common traits. The pair
of arms of humans and the wings of bats show homologous structures. They may come in different
shapes and sizes, but the overall structure and function of these parts share the same concept.

DNA and Protein Sequences

The presence of homologous structures also suggests the presence of homologous DNA and
protein sequences. Using today’s technology, the sequencing of the DNA codes and similar proteins
of various organisms showed striking similarities. The similarities in the DNA sequences suggest the
presence of a common ancestor.

Example:

Consider six different organisms from different groups of organisms that share similarities in
their DNA sequences. The homologous DNA sequences prove that these organisms share a common
ancestor.

Plate Tectonics and Fossil Records

There has been substantial geographical evidence to support evolution. The continental drift
theory developed by Alfred Wegener states that the movement of plate tectonics shifted different
continents, isolating certain landmasses. This is how all continents form from pieces of one giant
supercontinent called Pangaea.

The figure shows similar fossil records of different continents which suggests that the
continents were once connected. Common ancestors may have existed and differentiation
happened as these continents drifted. Certain conditions such as changes in the environment and
geographic locations are required for some organisms to diversify or develop a specialization. This is
called adaptive radiation.

Fossil Records

Fossil records provide a time frame for understanding the evolution of life on Earth. They show
the transition in the form of species. One example of this evolutionary evidence pertains to birds as
direct descendants of certain dinosaurs. In 1861, a reptile-bird link came about upon discovery of the
fossils of an Archaeopteryx dinosaur. All characteristics describe the dinosaur as a reptile except one
distinct characteristic — the feathers.

Embryology

Embryology is the study of the development of embryos. The overall conclusion in studying
comparative embryology showed that vertebrate animals share a common ancestor that is
specialized in many different environments. The presence of gill slits in human embryonic
counterparts in the placental stage is evidence that we all converge from a common ancestor.
Specialization takes place during development; some lose their gill slits in place of lungs while certain
organisms like fish and certain amphibians retain them.
Artificial Selection/Agriculture

Artificial selection is the process where humans domesticate wild living organisms for their
benefit. Consider the two very common ―tamed/cultivated‖ organisms – dogs and wheat. Dogs and
wolves come from the same family, yet there are striking similarities and differences. They are similar in
terms of physical attributes as well as their ways of communication, such as body language and
howling. However, their disposition and temperament very distinctly. This is because dogs diverged
from wolf-like canid and are just selectively bred as a domesticated canid. But even before this
selective breeding occurred, the long association of dogs with humans led them to be
domesticated.

Another example of artificial selection is wheat. Wheat now grows in certain areas and
climates. It was one of the first domesticated food crops and a basic staple food for civilizations in
Europe, West Asia, and North Africa for 8 000 years. It was believed to have originated in
southwestern Asia. Today, wheat production is vastly produced in China, India, United States, France,
and Russia which shows that this crop has adapted to various conditions of soil and climate.

In the long run, all of these changes and adaptations in organisms are substantial proof that
evolution occurs.

Organismal Classification

The diversity of living organisms on earth is truly astounding, almost overwhelming. Humans
have come up with ways of organizing or classifying, biological diversity throughout human history.
Organisms can be classified according to any number of criteria, including overall similarities, colors,
ecological functions, etc. However, it is generally agreed that the most useful way for scientists to
organize biological diversity is to group organisms according to shared evolutionary history. This way
the grouping not only results in an organized classification, but it also contains and conveys
information about our understanding of the evolutionary history of these groups.

Although our understanding of evolutionary relationships among organisms has greatly

improved in the last century, it is by no means complete. Relationships among organisms, and groups
of organisms, continue to be revised as new data becomes available. The rate of such revisions has
increased in recent years primarily as a result of the huge amount of new molecular data (such as
DNA sequences) that have been brought to bear on tests of evolutionary relationships. This means
that nearly all taxonomies (systems of nomenclature) based on evolutionary relationships among
organisms are being revised, sometimes radically so. Traditional ideas about how organisms are
related, and in which groups they belong, often prove inaccurate.

Traditional, biological classification schemes included the idea of ―ranks,‖ such as species,
genus, family, order, class, etc. In this system (the Linnean system), for example, there is a Class
Reptilia and a Class Aves. However, the bulk of evidence supports, and the majority of scientists now
agree, that the group Aves belongs within the larger group Reptilia (birds share a most recent
common ancestor with crocodiles, which are generally included in the Class Reptilia). Within a
traditional, Linnean system of classification, this means that either the Class Aves is demoted to
something below a class, or that a class (Aves) exists within another class (Reptilia). Problems such as
this have prompted many scientists to propose that a system of naming and classification of
biological diversity be rank-free. Classification systems then only indicate the hierarchical structure of
groups according to the current understanding of their evolutionary history, leaving out rank labels.

ACTIVITY 2

Explore!

Genetic variation is evident. The variation in your community is simple evidence of

understanding the basics of evolution. How does this imply the existence of evolution? Does this
mean that some humans are more evolved than others?

.
Try it!

Compare and contrast the difference between a prehistoric organism and modern-day organisms.
What are the differences and similarities among those organisms?

What do you think?

Why is evolution still just a theory instead of law or postulate?

Chapter 13: Biotic Potential and Environmental Resistance

Most of the time, an ecosystem is dependent on the proliferation of keystone species —

organisms that play a crucial role in an ecosystem. However, due to different factors like limited
resources, the ability of how a certain species proliferates is affected.

Biotic Potential

The ability of a population of a particular species to propagate under ideal environmental

conditions — sufficient food supply, no diseases, and no predators, is called biotic potential. There
are primary factors that determine biotic potential: an organism's rate of reproduction and its litter
size — the number of offspring produced at one birth. The biotic potential among organisms varies
from species to species. Similar to humans, many large mammals produce one offspring per year or
breeding season. On the other hand, insects produce thousands of offspring per year. Therefore,
large organisms have relatively lower biotic potential than smaller organisms.

Examples

On average, spiders are capable of producing hundreds of offspring at a time, cats and dogs
can produce four to eight offspring at a time, and humans can only produce one to three offspring
at a time. The different biotic potentials of organisms can be attributed to several factors such as the
survival rate of their offspring, frequency of reproduction, and reproductive lifespan.

Environmental Resistance and Carrying Capacity

The factors that limit the biotic potential of an organism are called environmental resistance.
These factors include abiotic and biotic factors that limit the organism from endlessly increasing its
population. Biotic factors include predation, competition, parasitism, and diseases. Abiotic factors
include climatic conditions, fire, and temperature.

Examples of Environmental Resistance

Some of the common examples of environmental resistance include the availability of

water and the predator-prey relationship. Water is an important resource that producers need for
growth. If the producers do not grow in an ecosystem, then the consumers in such an ecosystem
cannot be sustained. The dynamics of predator-prey populations contribute to environmental
resistance. For instance, if the predator population is low, we can expect that the prey’s population is
high.

Biotic potential and environmental resistance affect the carrying capacity, which is defined
as the maximum population of a species an ecosystem can sustain indefinitely without being
degraded due to deterioration and damage. We can analyze an ecosystem’s carrying capacity
through this graph. The carrying capacity is the portion of the graph in which the population
plateaus; this is where the rate at which the replenished resources of an ecosystem is equal to the
number of organisms being born.
 If the population exceeds the carrying capacity of its environment, it is called overshoot. One
reason for the overshoot is when the reproductive lag time — the time it takes for the birth rate to
decrease and the death rate to increase in response to limited resources, takes place. When this
happens, a population can collapse or dieback since there are limited resources and space unless a
large number of individuals migrate to other areas with more favorable conditions. When the
population of the organisms is below the carrying capacity, the available resources can sustain the
needs of the population.

The biotic potential of organisms makes the population increase while environmental
resistance limits the population from growing relentlessly.

ACTIVITY 3

Try it!

Research about the carrying capacity in humans. What is the difference in the carrying capacity of
humans with other animals? What are the estimates of human carrying capacity on Earth?

What do you think?

During the 1900s, there were 1.6 billion people on Earth. Today, there are over 7.2 billion people
worldwide. Why do you think the population continues to grow? Is there a limit to the growth of the
population?

III. EVALUATION

Multiple Choice. Read and analyze the questions and write the letter of your answer in your answer
sheet.

1. It is the ability of a population of a particular species to proliferate under ideal environmental

conditions
A. carrying capacity B. biotic potential
C. environmental factor D. environmental resistance

2. What is the relationship between biotic potential and environmental resistance?

A. Biotic potential increases the population of a species while environmental resistance decreases
its growth.
B. Biotic potential increases the population of a species while environmental resistance limits its
growth.
C. Biotic potential and environmental resistance are both factors that limit the population growth
of species.
D. Biotic potential and environmental resistance are both factors that increase the population of
species.

3. It refers to the maximum capacity of an ecosystem to sustain a population of organisms without

deteriorating.
A. biological capacity B. biotic potential
C. environmental potential D. carrying capacity

4. Which of the following organisms will have the highest biotic potential assuming that they are all
found in the same environment?
A. gazelles B. moths C. lions D. elephants
5. Which of the following helps regulate other organ systems by releasing hormones?
A. integumentary system B. circulatory system
C. endocrine system D. urinary system

6. Which of the following organ systems coordinates voluntary and involuntary actions of the body?
A. muscular system B. circulatory system
C. endocrine system D. nervous system

7. Which of the following organ systems removes wastes and excess materials from the body?
A. integumentary system B. excretory system
C. muscular system D. skeletal system

8. Which of the following statements describes the relationship between the respiratory system and
the circulatory system?
A. The respiratory system, together with the circulatory system, delivers oxygen to every cell in the
body.
B. The respiratory system, together with the circulatory system, delivers carbon dioxide to every cell
in the body.
C. The respiratory system sends out its waste products through the circulatory system.
D. The respiratory system provides the nutrients distributed by the circulatory system.

9. Which of the following is the major function of the digestive system?

A. move nutrients throughout the body
B. take in oxygen and exhale waste materials like CO2
C. break down foods into nutrients that can be used by the body
D. filter toxins and excess water out of the cells

10. Which of the following organs is involved in both the excretory and respiratory systems?
A. kidney B. lung C. small intestine D. heart

11. Which two organ systems work together to transport nutrients from the food to other parts of the
body?
A. digestive and circulatory systems B. circulatory and respiratory systems
C. digestive and respiratory systems D. digestive and nervous systems

12. Which of the following is a direct interaction of the skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems?
A. healing of wounds B. increased production of hormones
C. feeling sleepy after eating meals D. voluntary movements of the arms

13. It provides a time perspective of the evolution of life on Earth.

A. DNA and protein sequences B. plate tectonics C. artificial selection D. fossil records

14. He proposed the continental drift theory and the existence of Pangaea.
A. Charles Darwin B. Robert Hooke C. Alfred Wegener D. Isaac Asimov

15. It is the study of the development of embryos.

A. biochemistry B. embryology C. comparative anatomy D. cellular physiology

IV. REFERENCES

 https://opentextbc.ca/biology/chapter/13-1-how-animals-organ systems
 Blogspot/Fbpost by Warlito Canoy
 https://animaldiversity.org/animal_names/phylogeny_ranks/