Characteristics of Living Organisms

Characteristics of Living Organisms

• Living things exhibit seven key characteristics: growth and development, nutrition, sensitivity, movement, reproduction, excretion, and respiration.

Living vs. Non-living Things

• Living things (people, animals, and plants) are categorized into different groups, while non-living things (natural and man-made) are separate.

Creation vs. Evolution

• This topic examines opposing viewpoints on the origin of life, discussing the Genesis creation story and the Big Bang theory alongside Charles Darwin's evolutionary ideas.

Primordial Soup

• A cartoon illustrates the idea of life arising from simple organic molecules in early Earth's oceans. This concept forms one perspective about the origins of life.

Charles Darwin

• Images depict Charles Darwin's theories about evolution, illustrating the idea of gradual change over time.

Characteristics of Life (7)

• Growth and development: Increase in cell size and/or number.
• Nutrition: Intake of food for energy and growth; plants make their own food, animals get theirs from plants or other animals.
• Sensitivity: Response to stimuli either inside or outside the organism.
• Movement: The organism or parts of it move.
• Reproduction: Producing offspring.
• Excretion: Eliminating waste products.
• Respiration: Using food to generate energy.

MRS GREN

• A mnemonic device (MRS GREN) helps remember the seven characteristics of life: Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity, Growth, Reproduction, Excretory functions, and Nutrition.

Dead or Alive

• This section differentiates between living things and inanimate objects.

Homeostasis in Humans

• In this section, discussions cover the processes of maintaining a balanced internal environment.

Animal Classification

• Taxonomy: The science of naming and classifying organisms.
• Binomial nomenclature: System of naming organisms using two names (Genus species). The scientist Carl Linnaeus formalized this approach.

Domains and Kingdoms

• A diagram illustrating the hierarchical classification of organisms from domains (Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya) to kingdoms (like animals, plants, fungi, protists).

Phylum Animalia

• 35 smaller groups (phyla) of animals—classified as vertebrates (with backbones) or invertebrates (lacking backbones).
• Key phyla include Coelenterata, Chordata, Arthropods, Mollusks, and Echinoderms.

Types of Symmetry

• Bilateral symmetry: An organism can be divided into mirror images along only one line (e.g. beetle).
• Radial symmetry: An organism can be divided into multiple mirror images around a central axis (e.g. coral polyp).
• No Symmetry: An organism has no lines of symmetry (e.g. sponge).

Phylum - Protista

• Divided into two subgroups: Protists are single-celled organisms (like protozoa), and multicellular algae.
• Single-celled like Amoeba, Paramecium, and Euglena.

Phylum - Fungi

• Heterotrophic organisms that digest food externally. They secrete exoenzymes to digest food.

Classification of Animals

• Animals are grouped into vertebrates (with backbones) and invertebrates (without backbones).

Classification of Plants

• The hierarchical classification of plants, emphasizing different plant groups, such as non-vascular, vascular, plants with seeds, and seedless plants.
• Categories include: Bryophytes, Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, and Angiosperms.
• Examples of flowering and non-flowering plants are included

Structure and Function in Simple Plants

• Thallophyta (Algae) are simple plants, meaning they lack well-defined roots, stems, and leaves.
• Thallophyta are mostly aquatic plants.

Cellular Respiration

• Aerobic respiration (efficient): Requires oxygen, occurs in eukaryotic cells, and produces large quantities of ATP (cellular energy)
• Anaerobic respiration (inefficient): Does not require oxygen, also occurs in specific prokaryotic cells and some eukaryotes (like muscle cells under periods of high demand).
• Specific processes and locations are detailed in the diagrams.

Cell Structure

• Various organelles within eukaryotic cells (including those from plant and animal origins ) are discussed, including their function.

Relative Sizes

• Diagrams illustrate the relative sizes of various biological entities, starting from atomic scales to macroscopic organisms.

Explore the essential traits that define living beings and differentiate them from non-living entities. Dive into theories of creation versus evolution, learn about Charles Darwin's impact, and understand the primordial soup concept related to the origins of life. This quiz will enhance your knowledge of biology fundamentals.