IB MYP - Unit 3. How Do Organisms Sustain Themselves

UNIT 3.
HOW DO
ORGANISMS
SUSTAIN
THEMSELVES?
Systems in living organisms transfer energy and nutrients from the
environment to cells, where they are used to maintain the balance of
life. Diet can be affected by personal and cultural choices.
Factual:
 What nutrients do organisms need to survive?
 What occurs during the process of digestion?
 What occurs during the process of gas exchange?
 How are substances transported around an organism?
 How do substances move in and out of cells?
 What are diffusion, osmosis and active transport?
 What is homeostasis?
 How do elements essential for life cycle between the environment and
organisms?
Conceptual:
 What processes are involved in movement and transport?
 Why do the conditions within organisms need to be kept in balance?
Debatable:
 Should people use drugs to try to control their weight?
Activity: What do you eat?
Consider the food you eat on daily basis.
Do you think about why you eat or what the meals

you eat (your diet) contain?
Think about the types of food that you need to eat to

maintain a healthy body. They can be divided into
seven groups.
What are these different food groups needed for the

body?
3.1 What is meant by a ‘balanced diet’?
Carbohydrates (sugars) - for energy
Proteins - helping cells repair, building cells, enzymes
Lipids (fats) - energy storage, insulation
Minerals - e.g. calcium for bones, iron for haemoglobin
Vitamins - to ensure that cells function properly
Fibres - help transit of food through the gut
Water - about 80% of human body

What does balanced mean?
The best ratio of nutrients to

match your lifestyle.
Not eating a correct balanced diet can damage your body.
Different lifestyles require different diets.

e.g. Highly active person needs more energy foods.
The 7 Nutrients
Macro Carbohydrates Lipids Proteins
Micro Vitamins Minerals
Others Water Fibres

MACRO NUTRIENTS
Large molecules (macromolecules), made of smaller
building blocks (individual units).
Made of different elements, but all have carbon,

hydrogen and oxygen in common.
CARBOHYDRATES
 Elements: carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
 Used to create energy
 There are 2 types:
 Simple (e.g. glucose, fructose, sucrose):
 Natural sugar found in fruits and vegetables
 Refined sugar found in biscuits, cakes, chocolate
 Complex (e.g. starch - macromolecule):
 Natural foods such as rice, pasta, bread, nuts, potatoes,
and bananas
 Some used straight away, others stored in liver
 55% of a balanced diet
EXAMPLES Complex Carbohydrates

(generally starchy foods and the
better energy source)
Simple Carbohydrates
(generally sweet foods that •Rice
can also be high in fat)
•Pasta
•Biscuits •Bread
•Chocolate •Potatoes
•Cakes •Bananas
•Jam •Cereals
•Sugar
•Fruit juices
PROTEINS EXAMPLES
 Animal:
 Elements: carbon, hydrogen,  Meat
oxygen and nitrogen  Poultry
 Fish
 Essential for the repair of body
 Dairy
tissue and building cells
 Made of amino acids
 Plant:
 Animal Protein = 2/3
 Pulses
 Plant / Vegetable Protein = 1/3  Nuts
(Extra source of energy!)  Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes
LIPIDS EXAMPLES
 Elements: carbon, hydrogen and  Bacon

oxygen  Cheese
 Made of glycerol and fatty acids  Oily fish
 Source of energy  Nuts
 Protects vital organs  Butter & Margarine
 Controls body heat  Cooking oils
MICRO NUTRIENTS
VITAMINS
 Essential for good health
 Vision, skin, red blood cells, healing, bones, teeth, blood
clotting
 Water Soluble:
 Vitamin C:
 Vegetables, fruit (especially citrus)
 Fat Soluble:
 Vitamin A = Vision
 Vegetables, eggs, liver
 Vitamin D = Strong Bones
 Milk, fish, liver, eggs….and sunshine!!
Vitamins needed as part of balanced diet.
MINERALS
 Essential for good health
 Need different amounts of each
 CALCIUM:
 For strong bones and teeth
 Milk, cheese, cereals
 Lack of calcium causes weak
bones and potentially osteoporosis
 IRON:
 Helps forms red blood cells….
 Red meat, vegetables
 Lack of iron causes anaemia
Minerals needed as part of balanced diet.


OTHER NUTRIENTS
FIBRES
 Aids the digestive system

 Essential to get rid of waste…..
 Only found in plant foods
 Examples:
 Wholegrain bread and cereal
 Fruit and vegetables
WATER
 Half your body weight!

 Carries nutrients and hormones
 Helps with waste removal (urine)
 Helps regulate body temperature (sweating)
 Main component of blood and cells
 Lack of water causes dehydration
Activity: Mystery solution – food test

Critical-thinking skills: Interpret data.
Food can be tested for carbohydrates, proteins and
lipids, using different food tests. (p.59, Biology, Hodder,
2014)
Summative task, criterion C.
You will be provided with several mystery solutions,

each containing at least two different food groups.
 Carry out each of food tests and observe the results.
 Accurately interpret your data and explain results
using correct scientific reasoning.
Activity: Mystery solution food test - quiz








3.2 What occurs during the process of digestion?
Activity: Human digestive system

Creative-thinking skills: Apply existing knowledge to
generate new ideas.
Information literacy skills: Access information to be
informed.
Look at the diagram of the digestive system (p.61, Biology, Hodder,

2014):
What do you think you know about the digestive system

already?
What is the role of digestive system?
What do various parts do and why?

MOUTH
PHARYNX
ESOPHAGUS
LIVER STOMACH
GALL BLADDER
SMALL PANCREAS
INTESTINE LARGE
INTESTINE
RECTUM
ANUS
Large insoluble molecules in food needs to be broken

down into small soluble ones, which can be then
absrbed, transported by blood and used by cells.
The digestion involves physical (e.g. teeth) and chemical

(by enzymes) breakdown of food.
Mouth - Teeth break up food mechanically/physically.

- Salivary glands produce saliva which moistens
and lubricates food, and starts breaking it
chemically (salivary amylase digest starch to
glucose).
Pharynx - Transfers food from mouth to oesophagus
(swallows food).
Oesophagus - Transports food to the stomach.
Stomach - Stores and churns food.

- Hydrochloric acid (HCl) activates enzymes
(pepsin digests proteins) and kill germs.
- Mucus protects stomach wall.
Liver - Produces and secretes bile, that helps to break

down the lipids through emulsification.
- Stores vitamins and iron, destroy poisons and
old blood cells, breaks down and builds up many
biological molecules.
Gall bladder - Stores and concentrate the bile.
Pancreas - Produces and secretes bicarbonates, that that

neutralise stomach HCl, and hormones that
regulates blood glucose levels
- Produces and secretes digestive enzymes:
proteases, pancreatic amylase and lipases.
Small - Completes the digestion: proteases digest

intestine proteins, lipases digest lipids, pancreatic
amylase digests starch, maltase digests
maltose.
- Absorbs nutrients and most water.
Large intestine - Reabsorbs some water and ions.
- Forms faeces.
Rectum - Stores and expels faces.
Anus - Opening for elimination of faeces.

The breakdown of food into smaller molecules

3.3 What occurs during the gas exchange?
Activity: What is going on?

Creative-thinking skills: Apply existing knowledge to
generate new ideas.
Information literacy skills: Access information to be
informed.
Look at the diagram of human breathing system (p.62, Biology,

Hodder, 2014):
Describe the way that the breathing system is adapted

to its function?
Identify and explain different structures.
What structures enable the breathing system to move
oxygen into the blood?
Pleural membranes

 1. Oxygen (O2)
 2. Carbon dioxide (CO2)
 3. Windpipe
 4. Bronchi
 5. True
 6. Abdomen
 7. The nose acts like a filter, cleaning the air before it passes
down your throat into your lungs.
 8. Mucus
 9. The hairs wave back and forth, helping to collect the dust,
bacteria, and mucus, and keep the nasal passages clean.
 10. Bronchioles

 11. Oxygen
 12. Answers: 1. exhalation C
2. inhalation A
3. carbon dioxide B
 13. There is more than enough oxygen for humans to
breathe easily at sea level but at higher altitudes the
air is thinner. High above sea level the lungs breathe
more deeply and quickly even when at rest.
 14. 1. Exercise
2. Eat well
3. Don’t smoke
Activity: DIY - Bell jar model lung
How does air enter and leave the lungs?

Critical-thinking skills: Use models to explore complex
systems.
Transfer skills: Make connections between subjects and
disciplines.
Create a model of the breathing system as follows (p.64, Biology,

Hodder, 2014):
DIY Human Breathing System Model

Activity: DIY - Bell jar model lung

Look at the model of human breathing system (p.64, Biology,
Hodder, 2014):
What is represented by:
 The cavity of the bell jar (plastic bottle)?
 The Y-shaped tube (straws)?
 The rubber sheet?
 The balloons?
What is missing?
Inhalation (breathing in)

 Intercostal muscles contract, pulling the ribs up and out.
 The diaphragm contracts and moves down (flattens).
 The volume of the thorax increases, and the pressure
inside the thorax decreases, drawing air into the lungs.
 Pleural membranes surrounding the lungs and thoracic
cavity (chest cavity) ensure that the thorax is air-tight,
enabling the pressure changes to occur.
Exhalation (breathing out)

 Intercostal muscles relax, moving the ribs down and in.
 The diaphragm relaxes and moves up (dome shape).
 The volume of the thorax decreases, and the pressure
inside the thorax increases, so the air is forced out of
the lungs.
 Ventilation of the lung (breathing) ensures that there

is always fresh air entering the alveoli.
 This means that there is always a difference in oxygen
concentration (concentration gradient) between the
alveolar air and the blood.
 The oxygen then moves from the place of higher
concentration to the place of lower concentration (down
the concentration gradient – Flick’s law): from alveoli
to the blood.
 Same process occurs with the carbon dioxide; it also
moves down its concentration gradient, but in the
opposite direction: from blood to the alveoli.
 Why is there more carbon dioxide in the blood entering

the lungs than in the alveolar air? What has produced
the carbon dioxide?
 Why do large organisms need a specially adapted gas
exchange system?
 How is the breathing system adapted to its function?
 How does the breathing system achieve the following
things:
 A large surface area?
 Concentration gradient between alveolar air
and blood capillaries?
 A small distance for diffusion?
 Why does oxygen need to move into the blood?

 By what process does oxygen move into the blood, and
carbon dioxide out from it?
 Why does carbon dioxide need to be removed from the
blood?
 Remember MRS. H. GREN: Excretion is the process by
which the waste product of metabolic reactions in cells
are removed from the body. Why is the removal of CO2
an excretion process?
 Why do we need breathing system, whereas smaller
organisms (e.g. hydra) do not?
3.4 What is the circulatory system?
The organs of the body are composed of tissues whose

cells are alive. They need oxygen and nutrients to
perform their functions. Larger (multicellular) organisms
need assistance.
LUNGS
CIRCULATION
PULMONARY PULMONARY
ARTERIES PULMONARY
VEINS
HEART AORTA
VENA CAVA
CIRCULATION
SYSTEMIC
LIVER
HEPATIC VEIN MESENTERIC
ARTERIES
RENAL VEIN STOMACH
RENAL ARTERY
KIDNEYS
LOWER BODY
There are three main types of blood vessels:
• Arteries carry high pressure blood away from the heart to tissues
that need it.
• Capillaries are very small (< 10 μm diameter) and therefore can
penetrate virtually every tissue in the body. Blood moves slowly
through them under low pressure providing opportunities for the
exchange of substances.
• Veins carry the low pressure blood back to the heart using valves to
ensure blood flows in the correct direction.
N.B. arteries and veins tend to

be large structures, smaller
arteries are known as arterioles
and correspondingly smaller
veins are venules.
The structure of arteries
Relatively small lumen (compared

to the thickness of the vessel’s wall)
maintains high blood pressure.
Thick muscular wall and fibrous

outer layer help the artery to
withstand high pressure:
Muscles contract to decrease the size

of the lumen. This increases blood
pressure and therefore maintains
high blood pressure.
Elastic fibres stretch to increase the lumen
with each pulse of blood. After the pulse of
blood passes the fibres recoil.
The structure of capillaries

Capillaries are the smallest blood vessels and
are adapted for the exchange of substances to
and from the blood.
This enables tissues to gain nutrients and
molecules such as oxygen and to rid themselves
of waste material.
Capillaries also allow substances to enter and Wall is one cell thick allows
leave the organism, e.g. gas exchange of oxygen easy diffusion of substances
in and out of the capillary
and carbon dioxide in the lungs. due to the short diffusion
Blood travels slowly under low pressure distance.
allowing more opportunity for exchange.
Due the the massive number of capillaries present
and the small lumen the surface area available for
the exchange of substances is very large. Basement membrane is
permeable to many substances
The structure of veins

Veins return blood to the heart
for re-circulation.
The large lumen (compared to
arteries and the thickness of the
wall) means that the blood is
under low pressure.
Because there is less pressure to resist the
walls of the veins are thinner and less elastic
than arteries. They also contain less muscle
than the arteries.
Because of the low pressure valves are required
to prevent back-flow of the blood and therefore
ensure that the blood moves towards to heart.
Identify the labelled structures using your understanding

of blood vessels.
A D
C
B
Identify the labelled structures using your understanding

of blood vessels.
Heart = the central muscular organ of the circulatory system
It is a double pump the pushes the blood to the lungs and the to the rest
of the body under.
The heart contains two types of chamber:

• Atrium (pl. atria) – receives blood into the heart
• Ventricle – push blood to lungs and rest of the body.
Heart valves, as in veins, prevent blood from

going the wrong direction.
AORTA
VENA CAVA
(superior) PULMONARY
ARTERIES
PULMONARY
ARTERIES
PULMONARY
PULMONARY VEINS
VEINS
LEFT
RIGHT ATRIUM
ATRIUM
PULMONARY MITRAL VALVE

VALVE (Bicuspid)
(Semilunar)
TRICUSPID
VALVE AORTIC VALVE
(Semilunar)
VENA CAVA
(inferior)
RIGHT LEFT
VENTRICLE VENTRICLE
3.5 What processes are involved in movement and transport?
Diffusion
Random movement of molecules from an area of higher
concentration to the area of lower concentration.
Osmosis
Net movement of water molecules from an area of lower
solute concentration to the area of higher solute
concentration.
Trough partially permeable (semipermeable) membrane.

Activity: Osmosis
Critical-thinking skills: Use models to explore complex
systems.
Osmosis is the diffusion of water through a partially

permeable membrane.
Look at the diagram (p.73, Biology, Hodder, 2014).
Can you describe and explain what is

happening?
Activity: Osmosis
 How does this model what happens in cells?
 What would happen if you put an animal cell into

pure water?
Active transport
Movement of molecules from an area of lower
concentration to the area of higher concentration.
Requires the energy from respiration.

Glucose absorption
Movement of glucose molecules from lumen of small
intestine to epithelial cell and onto blood.
3.6 What is homeostasis?
Homeostasis = keeping conditions balanced within the body
 Temperature
 pH
 Water levels in blood and fluids surrounding tissues
 Sugar levels in blood
 CO2 levels in blood
Temperature and pH for enzyme action optimum

conditions, otherwise enzymes denature
CO2 lowers pH and creates acidic environment
How is sugar level controlled?
 After a meal, digested sugar enters the blood
 Higher blood-sugar level is detected by the pancreas
 The pancreas produces and releases the hormone insulin
 Insulin travels around the body in the blood
 Insulin instructs muscle and liver cells to store glucose
as glycogen
 The blood sugar level returns to normal
How is sugar level controlled?
 If blood-sugar levels are too low, another hormone,
glucagon, instructs cell to break glycogen down to glucose

3.7 How do elements essential for life cycle between the environment and organisms?
What is the carbon cycle?

All elements in living things (e.g. carbon, hydrogen, oxygen) cycle
between the physical (abiotic) environment and the living (biotic)
part of ecosystems.
Decomposers (e.g. fungi
or bacteria) feed on dead
organisms and waste
material (such as faeces).
Under the right
conditions, carbon in
dead organisms is locked
up in coal, oil, gas and
other fossil fuels, created
by high pressure and
incomplete decay.
3.7 How do elements essential for life cycle between the environment and organisms?
What is the nitrogen cycle?

All elements in living things (e.g. carbon, hydrogen, oxygen) cycle
between the physical (abiotic) environment and the living (biotic)
part of ecosystems.
Organisms have
difficulty in using
nitrogen gas directly
from the atmosphere – it
is very unreactive gas,
and only nitrogen-fixing
bacteria have developed
the ability to use
nitrogen directly and fix
it into other compounds.
3.8 Are there dangers in using drugs to control weight?
Activity: Weight controlling drugs
Communication skills: Use a variety of media to communicate with
range of audiences. Negotiate ideas with peers and teachers.
In small groups (3 students max), research about weight-control

drugs and record your findings.
 Which people are generally prescribed these drugs, and why?
 Should overweight people, in general, have access to these drugs?
 Are there any dangers in using these drugs?
Prepare a poster to educate public about these drugs, their use and
possible abuse.
Aim to use a variety of media for in your poster.
Make the information visually interesting, and be aware of the
sensitive nature of the material you will be writing about.

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UNIT 3.

Consider the food you eat on daily basis.

Do you think about why you eat or what the meals

Think about the types of food that you need to eat to

What are these different food groups needed for the

Carbohydrates (sugars) - for energy

Proteins - helping cells repair, building cells, enzymes

Lipids (fats) - energy storage, insulation

Minerals - e.g. calcium for bones, iron for haemoglobin

Vitamins - to ensure that cells function properly

Fibres - help transit of food through the gut

Water - about 80% of human body

What does balanced mean?

The best ratio of nutrients to

Different lifestyles require different diets.

Macro Carbohydrates Lipids Proteins

Micro Vitamins Minerals

Others Water Fibres

Made of different elements, but all have carbon,

EXAMPLES Complex Carbohydrates

 Elements: carbon, hydrogen and  Bacon

Minerals needed as part of balanced diet.

Minerals needed as part of balanced diet.

 Aids the digestive system

 Half your body weight!

Activity: Mystery solution – food test

You will be provided with several mystery solutions,

Activity: Mystery solution food test - quiz

Activity: Mystery solution food test - quiz

Activity: Mystery solution food test - quiz

Activity: Mystery solution food test - quiz

Activity: Mystery solution food test - quiz

Activity: Mystery solution food test - quiz

Activity: Mystery solution food test - quiz

Activity: Mystery solution food test - quiz

Activity: Human digestive system

Look at the diagram of the digestive system (p.61, Biology, Hodder,

What do you think you know about the digestive system

Activity: Human digestive system

Activity: Human digestive system

Large insoluble molecules in food needs to be broken

The digestion involves physical (e.g. teeth) and chemical

Mouth - Teeth break up food mechanically/physically.

Stomach - Stores and churns food.

Liver - Produces and secretes bile, that helps to break

Gall bladder - Stores and concentrate the bile.

Pancreas - Produces and secretes bicarbonates, that that

Small - Completes the digestion: proteases digest

Anus - Opening for elimination of faeces.

The breakdown of food into smaller molecules

Activity: What is going on?

Look at the diagram of human breathing system (p.62, Biology,

Describe the way that the breathing system is adapted

Activity: What is going on?

Activity: What is going on?

Activity: What is going on?

Activity: DIY - Bell jar model lung

How does air enter and leave the lungs?