01. Characteristics and Classification of Living Things

• Describe the characteristics of living organisms by defining the terms:

– movement as an action by an organism causing a change of position or place

– respiration as the chemical reactions in cells that break down nutrient molecules and release energy

– sensitivity as the ability to detect and respond to changes in the environment

– growth as a permanent increase in size

– reproduction as the processes that make more of the same kind of organism

– excretion as removal from organisms of toxic materials and substances in excess of requirements

– nutrition as taking in of materials for energy, growth and development.

• Define the terms:

– movement as an action by an organism or part of an organism causing a change of position or place

– respiration as the chemical reactions in cells that break down nutrient molecules and release energy for metabolism

– sensitivity as the ability to detect or sense stimuli in the internal or external environment and to make appropriate responses

– growth as a permanent increase in size and dry mass by an increase in cell number or cell size or both

– excretion as removal from organisms of the waste products of metabolism (chemical reactions in cells including respiration), toxic materials, and substances in excess of requirements

– nutrition as taking in of materials for energy, growth and development; plants require light, carbon dioxide, water and ions; animals need organic compounds and ions and usually need water.

• State that organisms can be classified into groups by the features that they share

• Define species as a group of organisms that can reproduce to produce fertile offspring

• Define and describe the binomial system of naming species as an internationally agreed system in which the scientific name of an organism is made up of two parts showing the genus and species

• Explain that the sequences of bases in DNA and of amino acids in proteins are used as a more accurate means of classification

• Explain that organisms which share a more recent ancestor (are more closely related) have base sequences in DNA that are more similar than those that share only a distant ancestor