¶ Key Understandings:
- Living organisms are very diverse and can be classified into the three domains and six kingdoms.
- Similar types of organisms are classified into groups of different ranks according to their level of similarity.
- Describe the characteristics of living organisms.
- Use the six kingdom system and taxonomic ranks to classify organisms.
- Use the binominal nomenclature to name organisms.
- Movement of organisms is independent of external forces such as wind or water currents
- Some animals are unable to carry out locomotion (movement from once place to another)
- but are able to move parts of their bodies (e.g. Sponges, barnacles, corals and plants)
- Living things respond to stimulus (changes in the environment or an external influence that causes the organisms to react in a predictable way)
- Respiration is the oxidation of food substances to release energy for the cell
- Living organisms are able to adjust and adapt to changes in their environment
- An adaptation is any characteristics of an organisms that improves it chances of surviving in an environment
- Process by which organisms take in food and convert it into new protoplasm
- Plants take in raw materials (carbon dioxide and water) to make their own food through photosynthesis
- Animals feed on other organisms
- Growth is the permanent increase in the mass and volume of an organism when absorbed food is converted into living matter (protoplasm)
- Development may make an organism more complex or even change its form (e.g. Caterpillar growing into a pupa and finally into a butterfly)
- Process by which organisms remove metabolic waste products
- Is the process of producing new organisms whereby some characteristics are passed on from the parents to their offspring
- Organisms are mortal and will die; Thus reproduction is necessary for a species to survive
¶ Classify organisms by the three domains, six kingdoms and taxonomic ranks.
¶ Three Domains
- Bacteria
- Archaea
- Protista
- Fungi
- Plantae
- Animalia
- Kingdom
- Phylum
- Class
- Order
- Family
- Genus
- Species
- The rules governing the assignment and application of formal scientific names to organisms or groups of organism that has been internationally agree
- Name consist of two parts:
- Genus + species (both in Latin)
- Genus name always with first letter in upper case
- Specific epithet always in lower case, never in caps
- Species name always italicised (Escherichia coli) or underlined
- Click on this link to view the Flash applet made by Cary & Michael Huang