Biology

Unit 1 Characteristics & classification of living organisms

1.1 Characteristics of organisms

- Biology = study of living organisms

- To carry out living processes --- need C.E (e.g in humans we get C.E from food(starch) -> glucose -> energy)

7 Characteristics in living organisms

- Movement
o All organisms are able to move to some extent
o Most animals = move their whole body from place -> place
o Plants can slowly move parts of themselves
- Respiration
o C.R in which organisms obtain energy from nutrients – glucose
 C.E released is used for carrying out biological process such as muscle contractions
Glucose + oxygen -> carbon dioxide + water + chemical energy
- Sensitivity
o The ability to detect changes in the environment & respond to them
o Changes may be :
 Internal environment – e.g blood transport
 External environment – e.g light intensity
- Growth
o A permanent increase in size and dry mass
o Plants & animals grow by producing new cells

Plant A
 Same initial mass
 Same type of plant
- Reproduction
o Makes more organisms of the same kind
- Excretion
o The removal of waste products of metabolism, toxic materials, and substances in excess of requirement
o Waste substances are removed from the body by excretory organs
 Lungs, liver and kidneys
- Nutrition
o The taking in materials that provide chemicals to build the cells and also a source of energy
(plants gain nutrition by photosynthesis)
Water + carbon dioxide ---------------> glucose + oxygen

Unit 2 Cells

2.1 Animal and plant cells

- Animal cells = no cell walls Difference between plant and animal cells
- Plant cells = has cell walls
- CCV (memorable)
- Animals/plant cells (mostly) = multicellular
Cell wall (structural layer
- Bacteria/yeast = unicellular (single cell) surrounding cells outside of cell
- Yeast is used in bread & alcohol (e.g ethanol) membrane)
- Plant cells don’t need to be stained when looking through the microscope because: Chloroplast (green pigment in
o Chloroplast – green pigment plants)
o Strong cell wall Vacuole
- Light microscope (x1000) = the microscope we see everyday
- Cell membrane
o Forms a barrier between the cell and its surroundings
o controls what goes in or out of the cell (like a door)
o keeps contents of cells inside
o allows simple substances to enter & leave the cell (e.g O2, H2O, CO2)
o controls movement of other substances into and out of the cell (e.g glucose – often described as partially
permeable)
- Cell wall
o Stop cells from bursting when they’re filled with water
o Shape of a cell (basically)
o Allows water and dissolved substance to pass through freely (often described as freely/fully permeable)
- Cytoplasm
o Place where many C.R occurs (e.g respiration & making protein for the cell)
- Sap vacuole
o Full of water to maintain shape & firmness of cell
o Stores dilute solution of salt and water
o In the vacuole
- Nucleus
o Motherboard of a cell
o Controls all activities in the cell (growth & metabolism)
o Carries gene’s structure that contain the hereditary information
- Mitochondria
o Aerobic respiration occurs here for the release of energy from glucose
o Large surface area
 ^s.a -> ^diffusion rate of o2
 The more energy a cell needs, the more mitochondria is present
- Ribosome
o To synthesize proteins