Characteristics of living organisms:

Aliving organism will perform seven characteristics as follows

1) Movement - an organism performing an action to cause a change in its position.
2) Respiration - Chemical reactions in cells that breakdown nutrients molecules and release
energy.
• Aerobic respiration - release of energy by breaking down of glucose in the presence of
oxygen.
Example: respiration in humans.

Glucose + oxygen —-> carbon dioxide + water + energy

C6H12O6 + 6O2 6CO2 + 6H2O +energy

• Anaerobic respiration - release of small amount of energy by breaking down of glucose in

the absence of
oxygen.
Example: respiration in yeast.

Glucose ——> ethanol + carbon dioxide + energy

C6H12O6 → 2C2H5OH + 2CO2 +energy

3) Sensitivity - ability of an organism to detect and respond to a change in the environment

or to a
stimulus.
4) Growth - permanent increase in size and dry mass by permanent increase in cell numbers.
5) Reproduction - is the production of offsprings.
• Sexual reproduction - organisms produced from genetic information from two individuals
of different
sexes.
• Asexual reproduction - organisms produced from a single parent.
6) Excretion - involves the process of removal of toxic materials, waste products of
metabolism and
substances in excess.
7) Nutrition - taking in of organic substance or mineral ions for energy and growth.
• Autotrophic nutrition - synthesis food on their own.
• Heterotrophic nutrition - depend on others for their food.

Classification:
• Organisms are classified based on the features they share.
• It can be based on morphology and anatomy.
• Morphology is the study of physical form and external structure, anatomy is the study of
internal
structure.
• Classification can be of natural system or artificial system of classification. In Natural
system of
classification important features are shared by a group of organisms.

• In artificial system of classification no much common features are shared.

Species: a group of organisms that can reproduce to produce fertile offspring. It is the
specific name.
Genus: closely related species are grouped into genus. It is the generic name.

Binomial nomenclature:
• Scientific name of an organism is generally made up of
two parts, first part is the generic nameand the
second part is the specific name.
• First letter of the generic name will be starting with a
capital letter.
• First letter of the specific name will never start with a
capital letter.
• Scientific names are always written underline or printed
in italics.
Example: Homo sapiens.
DNA sequencing:
DNA is made up of base sequence coding for amino acid. It
has a unique base sequence and distinct
number of chromosomes.
Organisms sharing more recent ancestors have more
similar base sequence of DNA.

Dichotomous key:
It is a special key that uses paired choice of features to
identify species.
Five kingdom:
The five major kingdoms are Kingdom Prokaryotes,
Kingdom Protista, Kingdom Fungi, Kingdom Plantae
and KingdomAnimalia.

Kingdom prokaryotes: (e.g: bacteria)

• Prokaryotes are always single cell and do not have a
nucleus.
• They have cell wall, cell membrane, cytoplasm and
circular loops of DNAcalled plasmid.
• They lack mitochondria and membrane bound organelles.
• They have ribosomes.
Kingdom Protista: (e.g.Amoeba, Paramecium,
Plasmodium)
• They are microscopic unicellular organisms.
• Their cell has nucleus and cell wall.
• Some Protista have chloroplast like plant cell and
produce food of their own. e.g: green algae.
• Some feed on organic substances.

Kingdom fungi: (e.g: yeast, mushroom)

• Fungi are multicellular but some are unicellular.

• Multicellular fungi have hyphae which are thread like

structure. It contains many scattered nucleus.
• They have nucleus and cell wall.
• Some fungi are parasitic and they do not have
chloroplast.
Kingdom Plantae:
• They are multicellular with nucleus and cell wall made out
of cellulose.
• They contain chloroplast for photosynthesis, make their
own food.
• Plant kingdom includes ferns and flowering plants.
- Ferns:
• They have large divided leaves called Fronds.
• They do not have seeds and do not produce flowers.
• They reproduce by spores present underside of their
leaves.
- Flowering plants:
• They reproduce by producing seeds.
• The seeds are present in the ovary inside the flower.
• They have xylem and phloem.
• Flowering plants are classified as dicotyledons and
monocotyledons.
Monocotyledon: (e.g: sunflower)
• They have single Seed leaf (cotyledon).
• Their leaves are broad and branching.
• Their flowers contains petals in multiples of four or five.
• Contains tap root system and have cambium.

Dicotyledon: (e.g: wheat plant)

• They have two Seed leaf (cotyledon).
• Their leaves are thin long and parallel.
• Their flowers contains petals in multiples of three.
• They have fibrous root system and no cambium.

KingdomAnimalia:
• They are multicellular and contain nucleus.
• They do not have cell wall.
• They are heterotrophic nutrition.
• They have many phylum.
(Vertebrates,Arthropods,Annelids, Molluscs, Nematodes)
- Phylum arthropod:
• They have waterproof exoskeleton.
• They have segmented body and jointed limbs.
• Open circulatory system is seen and have bilateral body
symmetry.
• They are divided into classes: Insects,
Crustaceans,Arachnids and Myriapods.
Class Crustaceans: (e.g: crabs, lobsters and woodlice)
• They have four or more pair of limbs.
• Body is divided into two parts: cephalothorax and
abdomen.
• They have two pairs of antennae.
• Hard exoskeleton form carapace for protection.
• Have compound eyes and breathe through gills and
mostly live in water.

ClassArachnids: (e.g: spiders, ticks and scorpions)

• They have four pairs of legs.
• Body is divided into two parts: cephalothorax and
abdomen.
• They have several pairs of simple eyes and piercing jaws.
• Have pointed mouth part, two chelicerae and two
pedipalps for biting and poisoning the prey.
Class Myriapods: (e.g: centipedes and millipedes)
• Long and thin body contains many segment with a pair of
jointed legs in each segment.
• 10 or more parts of legs.
• One pair of antennae and contains simple eyes.
• Their head, thorax and abdomen are fused.
Class Insects: (e.g: butterflies, beetles)
• Body is segmented into three parts, head, thorax and
abdomen.
• They have one pair of antennae, one or two pairs of
wings, three pairs of jointed legs.
• It have one pair of compound eyes and breathe through
trachea.
- Phylum vertebrates:
• All vertebrates have backbone, brain and spine.
• They are divided into five classes: Fish,Amphibians,
Reptiles, Birds and Mammals.

• Cold blooded animals: The body temperature of the

species depends on the surrounding and they do not
have an internal temperature control mechanism.
• Warm blooded animals: The body temperature of the
species is higher than the surrounding and they
have an internal temperature regulatory mechanism.

Class Mammals: (e.g: Elephant, mouse)

• They are warm blooded, has lungs for breathing.
• Female have mammary gland to produce milk to feed
young ones.
• Their body is covered by fur, have sweat glands and four
different types of teeth.
• They have external ear and their body movement is with
the help of four limbs.
Class Reptiles: (e.g: Crocodile, snake)
• Their skin is leathery or dry scaly structure.
• They lay leathery soft shell eggs on land.
• They are cold blooded, has lungs for breathing.
• They have four limbs except snakes.
Class Fishes: (e.g: Shark)
• They are cold blooded, has gills for breathing.
• Body is covered by scales and has fins for movement.
• They usually produce jelly covered soft eggs in water.
• Their body has lateral lines to detect vibration as they
have no ears.
ClassAmphibians: (e.g: Frog, toad)
• They are cold blooded, has lungs and skin for breathing.
• Body is covered by moist skin.
• They produce jelly covered soft eggs in water.
• They have four limbs with back feet webbed for
swimming.
Class Birds: (e.g: Pigeon)
• They are warm blooded, has lungs for breathing.
• Body is light weighted skeleton covered by feathers and
has scales on legs.
• They produce eggs with hard shell.
• The jaws are modified into beaks.
• They have two legs and a pair of wings.

- PhylumAnnelid: (e.g: Earthworm)

• The body is made of ring-like segments with bristles for
locomotion.
• Mouth and anus are present and are usually non-
parasites.
- Phylum Nematodes: (e.g:Ascaris)
• They are long, thin and non-segmented cylindrical body.
• Usually has body pointed at both ends and are parasites.
- Phylum Molluscs: (e.g: Snail, squid)
• Their body is soft and unsegmented with or without shell.
• They have muscular foot for movement.
• They often have eyes on retractable tentacles.

Viruses:
• Viruses are non-cellular organisms. They don't know
process any characteristics of life instead take over
the host cells metabolic pathway.
• They have genetic material either RNA or DNA inside a
protein coat called capsid with notypical cell
structure.MRS GREN:
MOVEMENT-It is defined as a change in position of a organism or a part of organism.
RESPIRATION-It is defined as a chemical reaction which involves in breaking down of molecules to
release energy. Word equation- Glucose+ Oxygen gives Energy+ Carbon dioxide+ water.

SENSITIVITY- It is defined to detect a stimuli and responding to it.

GROWTH- A permanent increase in size.
REPRODUCTION- A production of a fertile or infertile offspring of same kind or species
(Sexual reproduction-2 parents, Asexual reproduction-1 parent).
EXCRETION- The removal of metabollic waste from the body.
NUTRITION- Intake of substance for energy, growth and movement.
Heterotropic- depends on other organisms for their food.

Classification:
All living organisms have a scientific name(Latin name) and a common name.

Species:
It is a group of same kind of organisms that produces fertile offspring.

Genus:
Closely related species are grouped into genus

Binomial naming system:

Rules:
 Scientific name has two parts: Genus and Species.
 The genus always starts with the capital letter.
 The species name should never start with a capital letter.
 Printed in italics or written underlined.
 Example: Panthera leo

Dichotomous key:
 It is a method to determine the identity of something.
 It uses paired choice of features to identify species.
 It is like a road map made of question with a yes/no answer.
 Depending on the answer we will follow one path or another.
Evolution:
 Everyone has a common ancestor who evolved from.
 Common ancestor can be found from internal body structure and feature.

Kingdoms:
 Animals(Animalia)
 Plants(Plantae)
 Bacteria(Monera)
 Fungi(Fungi)
 Protoctists(Protista)

Kingdom:Animalia
 Eukaryotic(Nucleus present).
 Multicellular.
  No cell wall or chloroplast.
 Motile(Moving ability).
 It is mostly indigestive and internally digestive.
 Has 23 phylums major 5 are: Arthropods, Vertebrates, Annelids, Molluscs,
Nemotodes.

Phylum arthropods:
 They have several pairs of jointed legs.
 They have an exoskeleton
Insects:
 They have three pairs of jointed legs.
 They have 2 pairs of wings.
 They breathe through tubes called trachea.
 Their body is divided into a head, thorax and abdomen.
 They have 1 pair of antennae.
Crustaceans:
 They have more than 4 pairs of jointed legs.
 They have 2 pairs of antennae.
Arachnids:
 They have 4 pairs of jointed legs.
 They have no antennae.
 Their body is divided into a cepalothorax and a abdomen.
Myriapods:
 Their body consists of many similar segments.
 Each of their body segments has jointed legs.
 They have 1 pair of antennae.

Phylum vertebrates:
 They have backbones.

Fish:
 They have scaly skin
 They have gills throughout their life.
 They have fins.
 Their eggs have no shells and are laid in water.
Amphibians:
 They have skin with no scales.
 Their eggs have no shells and are laid in water.
 The tadpoles live in water, but adults often live in land.
 The tadpoles have gills for gas exchange, but adults have lungs.

Reptiles:
 They have scaly skin.
 They lay eggs with soft shells.

Birds:
 They have feathers(and also sometimes a few scales).
 They have a beak.
 Their front 2 limbs are their wings(though not all birds can fly).
 They lay eggs with hard shells.

Mammals:
 They have hair on their skin.
 Their young develops in the uterus, attached to the mother by placenta.
 The females have mammary glands, which produce milk to feed their young.
 They have different kinds of teeth.
 They have a pinna on the outside of the body.
 They have diaphragm.
 They have sweat glands in the skin.

Virus:
They are not living things.
They can do nothing before they enter a living cell.

Diseases:
 It does not show the 7 characteristics.
 It is very small.
 No typical cell structure.
 They contain strand of DNA or RNA.
 Surrounded by a protein coat called capsid.
 The only life process they can show is the reproduction inside the host cell.
  Examples: Common cold, Influenza, AIDS(HIVs)

Specialized cells:
 Cells which have been structurely adapted to perform a specific function.
 Tissue is a group of similar cells.
 Cilia- A thin hair like structure, it will move upwardand downward.
Example: Neurone cell.

 Red blood cells contain more haemoglobin pigment.

 They don’t have nucleus.
 More haemoglobin more transportation of oxygen.
 Organ is a group of tissues that carry out a function together. Example:Heart.
Sizes of specimen
o Magnification is how many times larger an image is than the actual object.