MID-TERM TEST

BIOLOGY

CHARACTERISTICS OF ORGANISMS

● organism: a living thing

● 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
● metabolism: the chemical reactions that take place in living organisms
● sensitivity: the ability to detect and respond to changes in the internal or
external environment
● growth: a permanent increase in size and dry mass
● dry mass: the mass of an organism after it has been killed and all water
removed from it
● 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: taking in materials for energy, growth and development

Binomial naming system

● binomial system: a system of naming species that is internationally
agreed, in which the scientific name is made up of two parts showing the
genus and the species
● genus: a group of species that share similar features and a common
ancestor
● species: a group of organisms that can reproduce to produce fertile
offspring
● fertile: able to reproduce
● infertile: not able to reproduce
● dichotomous key: a way of identifying an organism, by working through
pairs of statements that lead you to its name
 ● common ancestor: a species that lived in the past, and is thought to have
given rise to several different species alive today; for example, all
mammals share a common ancestor

GROUP CHARACTERISTICS
Fish ● they all live in water
● are vertebrates with scaly skin.
● In the first period of life, they have gills,
● they have fins
● their eggs have no shells and are laid in water
● They are vertebrates with skin.
● Their eggs have no shell and are laid in water.
Amphibians ● The tadpoles live in water, but adults can
be……….
● The tadpoles have grills for gas exchange,
adults have lungs
● Metamorphosis

Reptiles ● They are vertebrates with scaly skin

● They lay eggs with soft shells
● They do not breed in water

Birds ● They have feathers, and scales on their legs

● They have a beak
● Their front two limbs are wings
● They lay eggs with hard shells

Mammals ● They have hair on their skin

● They have auterus that they develop in the
placenta
● Females produce milk because of mammary
glands
● They have a pinna (ear flap)
● The have sweat glands
● They have a diphagram

Anthropods ● They have several pairs of jointed legs

● They have an exoskeleton

Insects ● Three pairs of jointed legs

● Two pairs of wings (vestigial)
● They breath through tubes called trachea
● Body devided into: head, thorax and abdomen

Crustaceans ● They have more than four pairs of jointed legs

● Two pairs of antennae

Arachnids ● Four pairs of jointed legs

● They have no antennae
● Their body is devided into: cephalothorax and
abdomen

Myriapods ● Many similar segments

● Jointed legs
● One pair of antennae
 THE FIVE KINGDOMS

The animal kingdom ● Their cells have a nucleus, but no cell walls or
chloroplasts
● They feed on organic substances made by
other living organisms

The plant kingdom ● They may have leaves, stems, roots, and flowers
● There are other types, like ferns and mosses
● Chlorophyll
● This absorbs the energy from sunlight, and the
plant can use this energy to make sugars, by the
process of photosynthesis
● Cell wall made of cellulose

The fungus kingdoms ● The main body of most fungi is made up of

microscopic threads called hyphae. These are
made of many cells joined end to end.
● They feed saprophytically, or parasitically, on
organic material: Many fungi are decomposers
● This helps to return nutrients to the soil that
other organisms can use for their growth.
● Fungi reproduce by forming spores. These are
tiny groups of cells with a tough, protective outer
covering. They can be spread by the wind or
animals, and grow t form a new fungus.
● Some fungi are harmful.
● They are usually multicellular (many-celled) but
some such as yeast are unicellular
(single-celled).
● They have nuclei and cell walls, but the walls are
not made of cellulose. They do not have
chlorophyll.
● They feed by digesting waste organic material
an absorbing it into their cells

The protoctist kingdom ● They are multicellular or unicellular.

● Their cells have a nucleus and may or may not
have a cell wall and chloroplasts
● Some feed by photosynthesis and others feed
on organic substances made by other organisms
● Eukaryota

The prokaryote kingdom ● They are usually unicellular (single-celled)

● They have no nucleus
● They have cell walls, not made of cellulose
● They have no mitochondria
● They have a circular loop of DNA, which is free
 to the cytoplasm asmid
● They often have plasmids

CELLS: the unit of life

Cell membrane
● a very thin layer of protein and fat.
● it controls what goes in and out of it.
● It is said to be partially permeable

➡️
● separates the contents of the cell from its environment.
● plant cell pressed tightly against the inside of the cell wall.

Cell wall
● All plant cells are surrounded by a cell wall made mainly of
cellulose
● Animal cells never have cell walls.
● This helps to protect and support the cell. If the cell absorbs a lot
of water and swells, the cell wall stops it bursting
● Fully permeable

Cytoplasm
● the clear jelly-like material that fills a cell.
● 70% water, many substances in it: especially proteins.
● Many different metabolic reactions

Vacuole
● fluid-filled space inside a cell which is surrounded by its own
membrane.
 ● Plant cells➡️ cell sap.
● When the vacuole is full, it presses outwards on the rest of the cell,

➡️
and helps it to keep its shape.
● Animal cells called vesicles,

Nucleus
● where the genetic information is stored. The information is kept on
the chromosomes.
● The chromosomes are made of DNA.
● The information carried on the DNA determines the kinds of
proteins that are made in the cell. Chromosomes are very long, but
so thin that they cannot easily be seen even using an electron
microscope.

Chloroplasts
● They contain the green colouring or pigment called chlorophyll.
● the Chlorophyll absorbs energy from sunlight, and this energy is
then used in making food for the plant by photosynthesis
● starch grains: tiny pieces of starch, made of thousands of starch
molecules, that are stored in some plant cells

Mitochondria

● mitochondrion: a small structure in a cell, where aerobic respiration

releases energy from glucose
● aerobic respiration: chemical reactions that take place in
mitochondria, which use oxygen to break down glucose and other
nutrient molecules to release energy for the cell to use

Ribosomes
 ● very small structures in a cell that use information on DNA to make
protein molecules

BACTERIAL CELLS
 ● Always have a cell wall, but is not made of cellulose. FSAP
● A partially permeable cell membrane is pressed tightly against the
inside of the bacterial cell wall. FSAP
● Bacterial cells have cytoplasm and ribosomes
● They do not have mitochondria or chloroplasts. FSAP
● The most important difference between a bacterial cell and animal or
plant cells is that bacteria do not have a nucleus.
● prokaryotic cells ('Pro' means 'before', and ‘karyotic means ‘nucleus’)
● Instead of chromosomes inside a nucleus, bacteria have a circle of
DNA. This is sometimes called a bacterial chromosome. FSAP
● Bacterial cells often have one or more smaller circles of DNA, called
plasmids. Scientists can use plasmids in the genetic modification of
cells and organisms.

PLANT AND ANIMAL CELLS

Cell organelles and their functions
Cell Function Present in
feature Animal (A)
or Plant (P)
cells
Nucleus A central place to store the genetic information A, P
(genome) of the cell.
Nucleolus A core inside the eukaryotic nucleus where A, P
ribosomal RNA is produced.

Cytoplasm The part of the cell between the nuclear envelope A, P

and plasma membrane.
Cell Also known as the plasma membrane, a A, P
membrane phospholipid bilayer that surrounds the entire cell
and encompasses the organelles within.
Cell wall Provides structure and protection from the outside P
environment. Only in plants and fungi.
Vacuole A membrane-bound organelle that contains a mass P
of fluid and functions as a storage space. Large
central vacuole is only existing in plant cells.
Chloroplas An organelle that conducts photosynthesis and P
t produces energy for the plant cells.
Mitochond Also known as the powerhouse of the cell, it is A, P
rion responsible for energy production.
Ribosome The site for protein synthesis. A, P
Golgi A membrane-bounded organelle dedicated to protein A, P
apparatus maturation and transportation.
Lysosome An organelle full of digestive enzymes and works like A, P
a recycling center in the cell.

Major differences
The organelles unique for plant cells are vacuole, cell wall, and chloroplast
(shown in orange text).