Human and Social

Biology
Session 1
 Section A:
LIVING ORGANISMS
AND THE
ENVIRONMENT
Session objectives
• To describe the characteristics of living
organisms.
• To compare the structures of an unspecialized
plant and animal cell and selected microbes.
• To state the functions of cell structures.
Characteristics of living organisms
All living organisms have 7 basic functions ;
•Growth – An increase in size max and complexity.
•Reproduction- To produce offspring.
•Irritability – The ability to detect and respond to changes in the environment.
•Movement- The change in position of a whole or parts of an organism.
•Nutrition- The process of taking in food.
•Excretion- The removal of metabolic waste.
•Respiration – The metabolic process that produce energy in the body.
Cells
A cell is the basic unit and function of all living
things.
There are two different types of cells
Plant Cells and Animal Cells
Plant Cells
The plant cell is made up of the following:

• Cell wall, Cell membrane, Nucleus, Ribosomes, Cytoplasm,

Mitochondria, Vacuoles, Chloroplasts, Endoplasmic reticulum.
Plant cell
Functions of parts of the plant cell
• Cell wall-  The outer covering of the cell that protects the plant
cell and gives it shape is the cell wall.
• Cell membrane- This membrane surrounds the cytoplasm of a
cell, enclosing its contents.​
• Nucleus- This large, membrane bound structure with in the cell
contains the cell's hereditary information (DNA).​
• Ribosomes- Composed of RNA and proteins, ribosomes are
responsible for protein assembly.​
• Cytoplasm- This gel-like substance within the cell membrane
supports and suspends organelles.
• Mitochondria- These organelles generate energy for the cell
through respiration.
• Vacuoles- This typically large structure in a plant cell helps to
support the cell and participates in a variety of cellular functions
including storage, detoxification, protection, and growth.
• Chloroplasts- The sites of photosynthesis in a plant cell.
• Endoplasmic reticulum- This organelle is an extensive network of
membranes composed of both regions with ribosomes (rough
ER) and regions without ribosomes (smooth ER).​ 
Animal
cell
 How does the animal cell differ from the plant
cell?

The plant cell contains a cell wall and cell The plant cell has a large centralized The plant cell contains chloroplast
membrane, while an animal cell only vacuole, while animal cells have smaller
contains a cell membrane. uncentralized vacuoles.
Past Paper Question
• List THREE characteristics of living organisms, other than respiration and
feeding.
(3 marks)
(ii) Whodat tells his teacher that a car is more alive than a plant because it takes
in oxygen and gives out carbon dioxide, and because it moves. Explain why
respiration and feeding are characteristics that CANNOT be applied to a car.
Respiration
Feeding
Answers
• THREE characteristics of living organisms, other than respiration and
feeding are growth, reproduction and movement ( answers can also include
excretion and irritability)
• Respiration and feeding are characteristics that CANNOT be applied to a car
because:
Respiration- respiration occurs in cells in plants, while cars don’t have cells.
Feeding- plants make their own food, while cars need to be given fuel OR
cars do not manufacture anything