B1 CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING ORGANISMS

1. DESCRIBE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING ORGANISMS BY DEFINING THE TERMS:

WHAT ARE THE SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING
ORGANISMS?

 Movement
 Respiration
 Sensitivity
 Growth
 Reproduction
 Excretion
 Nutrition
KEY PHRASE / KEY WORDS

 action by an organism or part of an organism

causing a change of position or place
 chemical reactions in cells that break down
nutrient molecules and release energy for
metabolism
 ability to detect or sense stimuli in the internal
or external environment and to make Nervous system – sense organs
appropriate responses
Hormones (endocrine system)
Homeostasis
KEY PHRASE / KEY WORDS

 permanent increase in size and dry mass by an increase in cell number or cell
size or both Reproduction system
 reproduction as the processes that make more of the same kind of organism
 removal from organisms of the waste products of metabolism (chemical
reactions in cells including respiration), toxic materials, and substances in excess
of requirements Excretion system
 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
Digestive system
 Respiration
Movement A leopard must breath and eat Sensitivity
A leopard has limbs that allow to survive. The oxygen it
it to walk/run and swim to inhales is used to release A leopard has a range of
survive. energy from it’s food sense (smell, touch sight,
hearing) that allow it to
interact with the world
around it.

Growth
A leopard grows and
matures from an infant, to Reproduction
an adolescent to a an A leopards will mate with
adult gaining complexity the opposite sex and
over time. produce offspring.

Excretion Nutrition
A leopard will excrete the A leopard is a carnivore
waste products from the and consumes other
food it eats animals to survive.
B2.1 CELL STRUCTURE

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. IDENTIFY STRUCTURES IN PLANT AND ANIMAL CELLS AND DESCRIBE THEIR
FUNCTION (CORE)
2. RELATE STRUCTURE OF SPECIALISED CELLS TO THEIR FUNCTION (EXTENDED)
3. OBSERVE PLANT AND ANIMAL CELLS DOWN A MICROSCOPE
4. CALCULATE THE SIZE OF CELLS USING MAGNIFICATION (CORE)
STARTER – IDENTIFY THE PARTS OF THE CELLS YOU KNOW
LABEL THE SIMPLE ANIMAL AND PLANT CELLS THAT CONTAINS
THE FOLLOWING STRUCTURES:

 Cell wall
 Cell membrane
• Be careful where you label the
 Nucleus cell wall and the cell
 Cytoplasm membrane of a plant cell
 Chloroplast
 Vacuole • Put a * besides the structure
 Mitochondria only the plant cells have
 Ribosome
ADD THE FOLLOWING FUNCTIONS TO YOUR DIAGRAM

 Contains genetic material DNA, which controls the activities of the cell
 Filled with cell sap and water to help keep the cell turgid (rigid structure)
 Protein synthesis (production) happens here
 Controls the movement of substance in and out of the cell, partially permeable
 Most energy is released in respiration here
 Strengthens cell structure, made of cellulose, prevents cell from bursting, fully
permeable
 Contain chlorophyll, which absorbs light energy for photosynthesis
 Jelly-like, most chemical reactions (metabolic processes) take place here, controlled
by enzymes
1.CILIATED CELLS

Found in trachea (wind

pipe) and bronchi of
lungs
Have tiny moving ‘hairs’
called cilia
Helps to sweep dirt and
mucus out of the lungs
 2. ROOT HAIR CELLS

Plant roots
Elongated shape
Increase surface area for increase
absorption of water and minerals
Thin permeable cell wall allows
water through
3. PALISADE MESOPHYLL CELLS

Upper layer of the leaf

(beneath the cuticle)
Contains alot of
chloroplasts
Maximum absorption of
sunlight for
photosynthesis
 4. RED BLOOD CELLS

In blood
Biconcave shape with no
nucleus
Biconcave to increase
surface area for absorption
of oxygen
No nucleus to fit in more
haemoglobin that helps to
carry oxygen
5. SPERM & EGG CELLS
mitochondria
 Reproductive organs –
testes and ovary
 Sperm – has a long tail
 To swim quickly towards
the egg cell for reproduction
 Egg - big size
 Contain nutrients for rapid
growth of zygote
ACTIVITY: WHAT AM I?

I love being in light, I have lots of chloroplasts so I can make my food.

I’m a great swimmer, so I have lots of mitochondria so I can make energy for my long
journey.
I have lots of hair-like structures that help to sweep mucus out of the lungs

Now you write ‘what am I’ sentences for

Root hair cell
Red blood cells
Egg cells
LIGHT MICROSCOPE

Magnification of
eyepiece – usually x10

Magnification of
objective lens, x4, x10,
x40, x100
LAB
Make slides and observe the following…..

1. Onion cells: Take a layer of onion tissue (root tissue). Use 1-2 drops of iodine
solution to stain.
2. Elodea leaf cell: (leaf tissue): no stain needed
3. Cheek cells: gently scrape the inside of your cheek with a toothpick and
transfer to a slide. Add 1 drop of methyl blue to stain

Make sketches of what you observe and label any parts of the cell that you see.
YOUR SKETCH

 just draw one cell, draw sections in the cells, not multiple individual cells
 Always draw using clear single line, do not make it thicker or jagged.
 Never ever shade.
 Draw in correct proportion
 Must occupy at least half of the space provided. Do not draw small.
 2-3 label if asked to.
CALCULATING MAGNIFICATION

Magnification = observed image side / actual image size

EXAMPLE:

1. Use ruler to measure scale

given
Actual Length = 5µm
2. Magnification = 15mm/5µm
3. = 15000µm/5µm (1mm=1000µm
or 1cm = 10,000µm)

4. = x 3000
1) Calculate the magnification factor Plant cell
The line 5 m is 20 mm long. So 20 000 m = 5 m
1. Calculate the magnification factor.
Magnification is 20 000/5 = x 4 000. The line representing 40 m is 25 mm or 25 000 m long
Therefore, magnification factor is 25 000/40 = x 625.
2) Calculate the length of structure G
Length of G is 12 mm = 12 000 m
2. Calculate the thickness of the cellulose cell wall.
Magnification is x 4 000 Wall is 3.0 mm = 3 000 m
Real size is 12 000/4000 = 3 m Magnification is x 625
Actual thickness of wall is 3 000/625 = 4.8 m
3) Calculate the diameter of the nucleolus
Diameter is 8 mm = 8 000 m
3. Calculate the length of the cell.
Magnification is x 4 000 120 mm = 120 000 m magnification factor is x 625
Real size is 8 000/ 4 000 = 2 m Actual length is 120 000/625 = 192 m

4) Calculate the diameter of the nucleus 4. Calculate the length of structure C.

Diameter is 36 mm = 36 000 m 29 mm = 29 000 m magnification is x 625
Magnification is x 4 000 Actual length is 29 000/625 = 46.4 m
so real size is 36 000/4 000 = 9 m
5. Calculate the length of the vacuole.
5) Calculate the diameter of the cell at its widest point 80 mm = 80 000 m magnification is x 625
109 mm = 109 000 m = 109 000/4 000 = 27–25 m Actual length is 80 000/625 = 128 m.

For all the answers above there is a tolerance limit of + or – 0.5mm, so + or – 0.1 – 0.2 m. There are other perfectly correct ways of
doing the calculation, so if your method is different, but arrives at the correct answer, then that is fine.
B2.2 MOVEMENT IN AND OUT OF CELLS

LO:
1. DIFFUSION
2. INVESTIGATE RATE OF DIFFUSION
3. OSMOSIS
4. INVESTIGATE RATE OF OSMOSIS
DEFINE DIFFUSION

 PARTICLES in liquid and gas move randomly

 net movement of particles from a region of their higher concentration to
a region of their lower concentration down a concentration gradient, as a
result of their random movement
Does not purposely flow in one direction,
diffusion happens due to random
movement of particles
DIFFUSION HAPPENS ACROSS THE CELL MEMBRANE

 Some substance move in and out of the cell through diffusion

 Example: oxygen diffusing into the blood
from air spaces in the lungs
High conc. of
oxygen in alveoli

Low conc. of
oxygen in blood

Diffusion happens
 Example: carbon dioxide in the air  Example: Glucose and amino acid
diffuse into leaves and palisade cells diffuse through intestinal wall into
through their stomata the blood
FACTORS THAT AFFECT RATE OF DIFFUSION

1. Diffusion distance
 Membranes in lungs are very thin so
that oxygen and carbon dioxide can
diffuse quickly
2. Concentration gradients
 Glucose molecules that cross the
intestine is quickly removed by flowing
blood so that equilibrium is not reached
and the concentration gradient is
maintained.
3. Surface area
 Highly folded intestinal wall
/extended root hair allows a
larger surface area for diffusion
to happen
4. Temperature
 Higher temperature, molecules
have more kinetic energy and
move at a higher rate (move
faster)
INVESTIGATE RATE OF DIFFUSION

Agar is mixed with an alkaline solution and the indicator phenolphthalein so it

has a pink colour. Place the agar cubes in acid and begin the timer. Time how
long it takes for the agar cube to turn colourless.
Investigate
1. Surface area to volume ratio (large SA:vol, low SA:vol)
2. Different concentration of acid
3. Different temperature

Draw a results table to collect your data

 Surface area
VARIABLES
Independent: Surface area to volume: cube 1) 1.5x1.5x1.5 cube 2) 3x1.5x0.75
total volume=3.375cm3
Dependent: Time taken for colour to change (mins)
Control: Same volume and concentration of acid

Concentration
Independent: Concentration of acid
Dependent: Time taken for colour to change (mins)
Control: Same volume of acid, same size cubes of agar

Temperature
Independent: Temperature- hot acid, room temperature acid
Dependent: Time taken for colour to change (mins)
Control: Same volume and concentration of acid, same size cube of agar
Review Questions
OSMOSIS – FOR WATER ONLY

osmosis as the net movement of water molecules from a

region of higher water potential (dilute solution) to a
region of lower water potential (concentrated
solution), through a partially permeable membrane
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE & SIMILARITIES BETWEEN OSMOSIS
& DIFFUSION?

Diffusion Osmosis
TURGID VS FLACCID

High
turgor
pressure
as
enlarged
vacuole
pushes
cytoplasm
towards Shrinking vacuole when cytoplasm
cell wall. causes cell to be flaccid. pulls away from cell
 RBC burst RBC shrink
(haemolysis) (crenation)
 A water potential gradient is maintained
throughout the plant to ensure water is being
continuously absorbed
 Osmosis is extremely important to allow the
absorption of water from high water potential
in soil into low water potential in roots
Think, Pair, Share  how would you answer this question? What are the key phrases
you should use?
INVESTIGATE OSMOSIS

 Investigate osmosis in potatoes when placed in different salt/sugar

solution concentration
 Investigate osmosis using visking tube (partially permeable membrane
 INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut two strips of potato into equal length

2. Measure the mass of both strips and record down
their mass
3. Place one of the potato strip into distilled water In In sugar
water solution
and place another into sugar/salt solution
Initial mass (g)
4. Wait for an hour
5. Take out the potato strips, dry/blot them gently on Final mass (g)
tissue paper
Change in mass (g)
6. Weigh the mass of the potato strips and record
down your results