Download Unit 5: Diversity of Life Content Outline: Characteristics and

Unit 5: Diversity of Life
Content Outline: Characteristics and Hierarchy of Life (5.1) – Part 1
I. Characteristics of living things
A. All living things are made of cells.
1. They can be made of one cell (unicellular), or many (multicellular)
B. Living things have different levels of complexity.
C. Living things contain similar chemicals, such as Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Nitrogen.
D. Living things get energy from their environment.
1. The chemical reactions to get and use energy are called metabolism.
2. These chemical reactions help maintain homeostasis, which is a stable internal environment.
E. Living things respond & adapt to their environment.
F. All living things grow and develop.
1. They grow through cell division, adding more cells.
2. Development is change to existing structures, adding new functions, producing a more complex
organism.
G. All living things reproduce.
1. Reproduction can be either asexual, forming offspring identical to the parent, or sexual, forming
offspring that differ genetically from both parents.
H. All living things need food, water, living space, and to maintain stable internal conditions to survive.
1. Some living things make their own food from light or chemical energy and are called autotrophs
2. Some living things cannot make their own food and must get energy by feeding on other
organisms and are call heterotrophs.
Unit 4: Diversity of Life
Content Outline: Characteristics and Hierarchy of Life (5.1) – Part 2
I. Hierarchy of life:
A. Cells – the basic unit of life. Living things can be made of one cell or many cells.
B. Tissues – made of cells with common structure and function.
C. Organs – a collection of similar tissues working together to perform a specific life function.
D. Organ Systems – two or more organs working together to perform a major life function.
E. Organism – all the organ systems that work together to create a multi-cellular organism.
F. Population – A group of the same species, in the same place, at the same time
G. Community – A group of interacting populations in the same area at the same time.
H. Ecosystem – Groups of interacting communities that are all experiencing common abiotic factors.
I. Biosphere – The entire part of the planet that can support life.
Content Outline: Characteristics and Hierarchy of Life (5.1) – Part 3
I. Classifying Life
A. Classification
1. The process of grouping things based on similarities.
B. Carolus Linnaeus (1707 – 1778)
1. He is considered the Father of Taxonomy. Taxonomy is the science of classification of living
things. There were originally only two Kingdoms in his system: Plantae & Animalia.
2. Linnaeus’ system placed organisms into groups based on observable characteristics.
C. Linnaeus’ system uses Binomial Nomenclature. This term means “Two name Naming system”.
1. Rules of Binomial Nomenclature:
a. The Genus name is written first and has a capitalized first letter; contains similar,
closely related organisms.
b. The species name is written second and is not capitalized. It often describes a
characteristic. A species is a group of organisms that can mate with each other and
produce offspring that can also mate and reproduce.
c. The scientific name is written in Latin and italicized if printed, underlined if handwritten.
Latin is used because Latin is considered a “dead” language. Therefore, the meaning of
words will NOT change over time.
D. The current levels (“taxon” singular, or “taxa”, plural) of classification.
1. Domain (This is the most inclusive, yet least specific taxon.)
a. Domains include similar Kingdoms.
2. Kingdoms
a. include similar Phyla (singular: phylum) or Divisions (if plants).
b. Classification of kingdoms has changed over time
i. 1870’s: Five Kingdom system- Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista, and Monera
(prokaryotes, organisms without a nucleus)
ii. 1990’s: Six Kingdom system – Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista, Archaebacteria,
Eubacteria (prokaryotes divided into two kingdoms based on differences in structure,
biochemistry and physiology)
iii. classification will probably continue to change over time as new discoveries are made
3. Phyla or Divisions (plants)
a. Phyla or Divisions include similar Classes.
4. Classes
a. Classes include similar Orders.
5. Order
a. Orders include similar Families.
6. Family
a. Families include one or more similar Genera (singular: Genus).
7. Genus
a. Genus includes one or more similar Species.
8. Species (This is the least inclusive; yet most specific taxon)
9. The more levels two organisms share, the more characteristics they have in common and the
more closely related they are.
10. Mnemonic device (memory aide) to remember the order of system: Dominating King Phillip
Came Over For Green Salad.
E. Taxonomic keys are useful tools that help determine the identity of organisms.
1. Taxonomic keys are a series of paired statements that describe physical characteristics
2. Each statement that matches the organism leads to a new pair of statements and eventually
identification of the organism.
Unit 5: Diversity of Life
Content Outline: Viruses (5.2) – Part 1
Viruses
I.
II.
Discovery of Viruses: Wendell Stanley (1935)
A. First person to isolate a virus. The virus was Tobacco Mosaic Virus - TMV
Viral Structure
A. Tiny, nonliving particles that reproduce inside of living cells. Viruses are not living organisms. They
cannot be “killed”. They can be broken apart using chemicals.
1. Viruses are not made of cells.
2. Viruses do not use energy to grow or respond to surroundings
3. Viruses cannot make food, take in food, or produce wastes
B. Two basic parts
1. Inner core containing genetic material with instructions for making new viruses, either DNA or
RNA. Viruses are classified based on whether they have DNA or RNA.
2. Outer protein coat or “capsule” that protects the virus core genetic material.
a. Unique surface proteins allow the virus to attach only to specific cells in the host
b. Works like a “key” in a lock to allow the virus to enter the cell
3. Some viruses can also have a viral envelope.
a. This from the previous host cell plasma membrane. (It is an example of mimicry. It looks
like a normal cell, but it is actually like a Trojan horse. The danger is inside.)
b. The AIDS/HIV virus has a viral envelope derived from the T-helper white blood cells.
i. HIV = human immunodeficiency virus, causes the disease AIDS (acquired
immune deficiency syndrome)
C. Virus shapes
1. Viruses vary greatly in shape. Some are round, some rod-shaped, and others like bricks,
threads, or bullets.
2. Bacteriophages (A.K.A. Phages) – These are viruses that attack bacteria.
a. These are some of the largest and most complex viruses.
b. Shaped like a “lunar lander” or space ship
D. Naming Viruses
1. Named for disease the virus causes, or
2. Named for geographic location where discovered
3. Viruses are not organisms, so are not named using binomial nomenclature
Unit 5: Diversity of Life
Content Outline: Viruses (5.2) – Part 2
I.
Viral Reproduction
A. Viruses must have a host cell in order to reproduce.
1. They are considered cellular parasites – viruses live on or in a host and cause it harm.
2. Viruses must get inside the host cell in order to reproduce.
B. Viruses use the host cells machinery and enzymes to make new DNA or RNA strands and new
capsomeres to form new viruses.
C. Virus reproduction kills the host cell
D. Some viruses reproduce immediately after invading cells while other viruses lie dormant for a
period of time after invading cells, their genetic material is copied every time the cell divides, then
finally begin to create new viral particles – this is a much bigger impact on the host!
II.
Major viruses
A. Examples: HIV/AIDS, Ebola, Influenza, SARS
B. Epidemic – Big outbreak in one area, like a state or country.
C. Pandemic – Global outbreak
Unit 5: Diversity of Life
Content Outline: Bacteria Kingdom (5.3) – Part 1
Introduction to Bacteria
I. Bacteria are Prokaryotes – they do not have a nucleus.
A. First discovered in late 1600’s by Anton von Leeuwenhoek.
B. Bacteria are the oldest and most adaptive organisms on the planet.
1. Some famous bacteria include Plague, Tuberculosis (TB), Cholera, Botulinum, and Anthrax.
2. Most bacteria are harmless.
3. Bacteria are essential for life to exist. They are involved in nutrient recycling – they are
decomposers.
II. Two Domains of Prokaryotic Bacteria exist:
A. Bacteria (common)
1. Bacteria live in conditions humans and most other living things live in.
B. Archaea (extremophiles)
1. Archaea live in extreme environments: bottom of the ocean thermal vents, hot springs, extremely
salty lakes, mud & other places with no oxygen (anaerobic environments).
III. Bacterial Structure
A.
All prokaryotes are unicellular.
B. Most prokaryotes have a rigid cell wall. (This is not the same as a plant’s cell wall.)
1. This structure is primarily for protection of the underlying cell membrane.
C. Cell membrane – it is found under the cell wall and it controls what passes in and out of the cell.
D. Cytoplasm – this is a gel-like fluid substance contained by the cell membrane.
E. Ribosomes – structures to make proteins.
F. Genetic material – instructions for all life functions of the bacteria cell; not contained in a nucleus
G. Some bacteria produce a Capsule that covers the cell wall.
1. The capsule is a sticky substance for adherence to surfaces. This capsule material is what actually
makes people sick; not the bacteria.
H. Some prokaryotes have flagella, or cilia, or a helix body shape for movement.
I. Some prokaryotes can move by “sliming”. (“Spitting” out a layer of mucous in front of them to slide on.)
IV.
Bacteria shape and size
A. Three basic shapes of prokaryotes exist:
1. Cocci (Means “round”)
2. Bacilli (Means “rod”)
3. Helical (Means “spiral”)
B. Bacteria sizes - Bacteria range greatly in size, but most are microscopic
Unit 5: Diversity of Life
Content Outline: Bacteria Kingdom (5.3) – Part 2
I.
Means of Nutrition (feeding) – bacteria get energy either by making food from chemicals or light, or by eating
other organisms.
A. Autotrophs - They make their own food.
1. Get their energy by Photosynthesis - Using sunlight energy, CO2, and H2O to make sugar.
2. Get their energy from chemicals by Chemosynthesis to make sugars.
B. Heterotroph – they cannot make their own food.
1. Get energy by feeding on another organism.
2. May include any of the following:
a. Saprobes - They eat of dead material. (These are decomposers.)
b. Parasites – They get nutrients directly by living on or in other living organisms.
II.
Bacterial reproduction
A. Normally accomplished by the process of Binary Fission to create clones. (It is asexual reproduction.)
B. It is similar Mitosis, just G1, S, and cytokinesis.
C. Must have the right temperature, enough food, and other conditions
1. Grows to twice normal size.
2. Duplicates genetic material.
3. Splits into two identical copies.
D. Endospore formation – when conditions for survival are poor (no food or water, extreme temperatures)
1. Bacteria form a thick-walled resting cells inside of the bacterial cell
2. The endospore encloses some cytoplasm and the genetic material
3. Endospores can survive for years until conditions improve, then it opens up, and bacterium begins
to grow and multiply.
III. Terms used with Archaea (extremophiles) with regards to their living environments:
A. Methanogens – Produce (generate) Methane gas – CH4. These are mainly associated with ruminants.
Animals with a rumen as part of the “stomach”.), Swamps, waste disposal, and trash dumps also produce
methane.
You have them too… living in your large intestine. These are the organisms that cause us
to release gas or
“fart’.
B. Halophiles - These are salt lovers. (“halo” means “salt”; “phile” means “lover of”.) These bacteria are
associated with places like the Dead Sea in Israel or Great Salt Lakes of Utah.
C. Thermophiles - These are heat lovers. (These bacteria are found in hot springs or volcanoes.)
Unit 5: Diversity of Life
Content Outline: Bacteria Kingdom (5.3) – Part 3
Role of Bacteria in Nature
I.
Bacteria have many helpful roles – people depend on bacteria for many things.
II.
Oxygen production
A. Autotrophic bacteria produce oxygen when they produce food by photosynthesis.
B. Scientists think autotrophic bacteria added the first oxygen to the Earth’s atmosphere
III.
Food production
A. Many foods are produced by the action of bacteria: buttermilk, yogurt, sour cream, cheese
B. Some bacteria make food spoil when they decompose the food
1. Refrigerating and heating slow down spoilage by killing bacteria
2. Pasteurization is a process to heat food to a temperature high enough to kill the bacteria but not
change or cook the food. Named for Louis Pasteur.
IV.
Health and medicine
A. Bacteria in our bodies help digest food, make vitamins, and crowd out harmful bacteria that might make
us sick
B. Bacteria are used to make medicines, such as insulin.
V.
Ecological Impact of Bacteria
A. Important nutrient recyclers. (They are decomposers/saprobes.)
1. Break down dead organisms into small simple chemicals that can enter the food chain
B. Some can perform Nitrogen Fixation – the nitrogen cycle, a form of nutrient cycling
1. Live in the roots of plants called legumes (peanuts, peas, soybeans)
2. capture nitrogen from the air, convert the nitrogen to a form plants need to grow – plants cannot
do this on their own
3. makes nitrogen available for plants  animals get nitrogen when they eat the plants.
A. Some bacteria can “eat” oil from oil spills in oceans and industrial sites, breaking it down into harmless
substances. Bioremediation refers to cleaning up the environment using living organisms.
Unit 5 : Diversity of Life
Content Outline: Kingdom Protista (5.4) – Part 1
I.
Protists - member of Kingdom Protista
A. All protists are eukaryotes
1. Eukaryotes have a cellular nucleus containing genetic information
B. They cannot be classified as animals, plants or fungi because they are single-celled or have different
structures.
C. Most of these organisms are unicellular.
D. All live in moist environments.
E. Three major groups of protists:
1. Animal-like protists – also known as protozoans (proto- “first”, -zoa “animal”)
a. Heterotrophs
b. Unicellular
c. Move to get food, catch and eat other organisms
i.
Move by pseudopods (Amoeba) – pseudopod means “false foot” – these are
extensions of the cell membrane and cytoplasm that push and pull the protozoan
in a particular direction.
ii.
Move by flagella (Giardia) – flagella are longer than cilia, and there are usually
only one to a few.
iii.
Move by cilia (Paramecium) - many short hair-like structures called cilia help
the protozoan move through fluids, also direct food particles into their oral cavity
or groove.
iv.
Some are parasites and can produce disease.
2. Plant-like protists – also known as algae.
a. Autotrophs - they have chloroplasts and can perform photosynthesis.
b. Most are Unicellular, but some are multicellular.
c. They use pigment (proteins that produce color by absorbing some light wavelengths &
reflecting other light wavelengths) - capture light and make their own food.
d. Some can move using flagella.
e. They live in the upper layers of water bodies where light penetrates.
f. They are a food source for other aquatic (water based) organisms.
3. Fungus-like protists
a. Heterotrophs - these are decomposers.
b. They have cell walls made of Chitin (a sugar)
c. They can reproduce by spores.
d. They feed on dead or decaying organisms.
e. Can move at some point in their life cycle
i.
Slime molds – moist shady place like forest floors; feed on decaying organisms
& bacteria
ii.
Water molds – live in water or moist places, look like black fuzz. A water mold
destroyed the Irish potato crops in 1845 & 1846, causing famine, widespread
death, and migration out of Ireland.
iii.
Downy mildews – like watering molds, living in water or moist places. Both are
often crop diseases.
Unit 5 : Diversity of Life
Content Outline: Kingdom Protista (5.4)– Part 2
Protist Reproduction
I.
Many protists reproduce by asexual reproduction.
A. Binary fission – single cell protist divides into two identical (smaller) cells.
B. Multiple fission – single cell protist divides into three or more identical (smaller) cells.
II.
Some protists reproduce by sexual reproduction
A.
Paramecium reproduces through conjugation – two individuals join and exchange genetic
material by swapping their small second nucleus. They then each divide, producing four new individuals.
B.
Some protists produce asexually most of the time but when environmental conditions are bad
they reproduce sexually until conditions improve.
III.
Complex cycles of reproduction are followed by protists that are parasites.
A. They will have different stages of their life cycle in one host (usually an invertebrate) followed by a second
stage in a vertebrate host.
B. The disease malaria is caused by a parasitic protist with a complex life cycle, Plasmodium vivax.
Unit 5 : Diversity of Life
Content Outline: Kingdom Protista (5.4) – Part 3
I. Means of nutrition (feeding) for protists:
A. Heterotroph –They feed on other organisms for their remains. (“troph-” means “feeding”)
1. Animal-like protists. These are protozoa or zooplankton. (“zoa” means “animal”)
a. They use flagella or cilia to move through the water or other liquid.
b. Flagella are an extension of the cytoplasm in protists so they are considered organelles
c. Flagella are part of the plasma membrane in other prokaryotes (bacteria) and are therefore not
considered organelles.
2. Fungus-like protists. Absorb nutrients from surroundings, as they are decomposers. Do not move, or
move freely only during a certain part of their life span.
B. Photoautotroph –These are photosynthesizers (producers)
1.
Includes the Plant-like protists. (These are the algae and phytoplankton.)
2.
Most protists are producers, known as algae.
3.
Producers use the sun’s energy to make food through photosynthesis.
4.
Most all live in water.
a.
Some are multicellular, some are free-floating unicellular (phytoplankton).
b.
Phytoplankton produces a majority of the Earth’s oxygen.
c.
Phytoplankton are the bottom of the food chain in aquatic (water) environments.
C. Mixotroph (These organisms can obtain energy either way listed above.)
Unit 5: Diversity of Life
Content Outline: Kingdom Fungi (5.5)
I.
About 500 MYA, Fungi began to colonize the land to break down the abundant dead plant material that exists.
A. This Kingdom is composed mainly of soil dwelling decomposers mostly.
B. The Kingdom evolved from unicellular flagellated protists.
C. Most fungus are classified according to the sexual reproductive structure they produce.
D. Fungi only resemble plants; but are actually more closely related to animals.
1. Fungi are heterotrophs by absorption and use exoenzymes to begin extracellular digestion.
a. Animals are heterotroph by ingestion.
2. Fungi cell walls composed of Chitin. (Same substance found in the exoskeleton of Arthropods.)
a. Remember, Plant cell walls are composed of Cellulose.
E. Most Fungi have symbiotic relationship with plants roots. (Referred to as mycorrhizae.)
1. Fungi help to increase the surface area for water uptake by the roots. Plants provide sugars for food.
a. Example: lichens and algae
II. Fungi Body Structure
A. Hyphae (These are tubular filaments.)
1. Hyphae are intertwined to form a Mycelium (means “Fungus body”), which extend above and below
ground.
2. Fungi can grow extremely fast to reduce competition. They just need moisture (rain) to grow.
III. Ecological Impact of Fungus
A. They are important decomposers. (A.K.A. Saprobes) They recycle vital nutrients back to the
environment.
B. Some fungi plant pathogens – wheat rust, corn smut, Dutch Elm Disease, Chestnut Blight.
C. Some fungi human pathogens – ringworm, athletes foot, jock itch, yeast infections, dandruff.
D. Some fungi are used as medicines and food.
Unit 5 : Diversity of Life
Content Outline: Plant Kingdom (5.6) – Part 1
I.
Characteristics that distinguish plants from other living things:
A. Plants are autotrophs, which means they make their own food (auto = self, troph = feeding)
1. They have a green pigment known as chlorophyll in their chloroplasts, which absorbs light energy
needed for photosynthesis.
2. Plants use the energy from light to make food from carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and water taken
up through their roots.
a. This process is photosynthesis.
3. Plants are also known as producers because they make their own food, and provide food for other
organisms.
B. All plants except green algae are multicellular, and their cells are organized into tissues.
C. Plant cells have specialized structures:
1. Plant cells have a cell wall outside the cell membrane that supports them and protects the plant cell.
2. Plant cells have specialized organelles called chloroplasts, which are the location of photosynthesis.
3. Plant cells have large storage sacs called vacuoles that store water, wastes, food, and helps support
the cell.
Unit 5 : Diversity of Life
Content Outline: Plant Kingdom (5.6) – Part 2
I.
Plants are divided into two major groups, with one of those groups divided further into three groups.
A. Nonvascular plants
1. These plants do not have specialized vascular tissue to transport nutrients, water, and food.
2. They are small organisms made of few cells, materials move from cell to cell by absorption and diffusion.
3. They are collectively known as Bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, hornworts).
4. They live in damp locations.
B. Vascular plants
1. The seedless vascular plants known as Pteriodophytes.
2. Vascular plants that produce seeds but no flowers, known as gymnosperms.
3. Vascular plants that produce seeds and flowers, known as angiosperms.
4. Three major groups of vascular plants evolved over millions of years in response to the changing
environment. They are:
a. Pteriodophytes (Vascular, non-seed plants)
i. They reproduce by spores, not seeds.
ii. This group includes ferns, horsetails, and club mosses.
iii. They have specialized vascular tissue for transporting materials, and true roots
and stems.
b. Gymnosperms (Vascular, “naked seed” plants)
i. Dispersal of the plants increases with the evolution of the seed.
ii. Seeds can be “moved” into new territory – away from competition.
c. Angiosperms (Vascular, flowering plants)
i. Flowers and fruit - These structures help the plant survive moving to new areas
or reproducing by using animals to disperse seed.
5. They have vascular tissue to transport water, nutrients, wastes, and food through the whole plant.
a. They are larger than nonvascular plants since water & food can be transported over long
distances.
b. Vascular tissue also strengthens the plant.
c. There are two types of vascular tissue:
i. Phloem – carries food from the leaves where it is made by photosynthesis to all
other parts of the plant.
ii. Xylem – carries water and minerals from the roots upward to all other parts of
the plant.
Unit 5 : Diversity of Life
Content Outline: Plant Kingdom (5.6) – Part 3
I.
Seed Plants - Characteristics of Seed Plants:
A. All seed plants have two characteristics:
1. Vascular tissue for transport of water, nutrients, food.
a. All seed plants have true roots, stems and leaves.
b. Most seed plants live on land.
2. Reproduce by using pollen and seeds.
a. Seed plants do not need a moist environment to reproduce.
b. Seed plants produce pollen, which contains cells that will become sperm.
c. Pollen fertilizes the egg cells, and seeds develop.
d. Seeds are structures that contain young plants and protect them until conditions for growth are good.
B. Two main groups of seed plants exist: gymnosperms and angiosperms
1. Gymnosperms “Naked Seed Plants”
a. Adaptations needed for much drier and cooler environments:
i. Reduced size of leaves. (The leaves of pines are called needles.)
ii. Thick, waxy cuticle on the leaves.
iii. The leaves remain all year, hence the term “evergreens”. They shed a little at a time, like a dog
sheds hair.
iv. Large plants with thick bark.
v. Two types of cones for reproduction. The female cones (large and hard) contain the seeds. Males
(small and yellow) contain the pollen grains that contain the sperm.
 The wind and rain carry the pollen grains to the female cones for fertilization.
 Seeds have a food source for the developing embryo inside. Seeds are not enclosed in fruits.
b. Four types of gymnosperms exist today:
i. Cycads – looks like a palm tree, with cones as large as a football.
ii. Ginkgoes - the Ginkgo tree is the only species existing. Has “fan shaped” leaves that turn yellow
and drop in the fall.
iii. Conifers – largest & most diverse group of gymnosperms; most are evergreen & keep their
needles all year. Pine trees are a common example.
iv. Gnetophytes – live in hot deserts and tropical rain forests. Some are trees, some shrubs, some
vines.
Unit 5 : Diversity of Life
Content Outline: Plant Kingdom (5.6) – Part 4
I.
Angiosperms – “flowering plants”
A. All angiosperms produce flowers.
1. Flowers have four circles of specialized, modified leaves:
 Sepals – These are the green protective leaves. (Form the bud.)(They are non-reproductive.)
 Petals – These are the colored attractant leaves. (They are fragrant and also nonreproductive.)
 Stamen- This is the male structure producing reproductive cells. Site of pollen grains. (It is
reproductive.)
 Anther -Part with the yellow pollen grains; and filament - It is a support stalk.
 Pollinator (animal or insect) to transport pollen grain. (This is an example of coevolution
and this reduces competition for each organism.)
 Carpel/Pistil – Site of female reproductive structures: (It is reproductive.)
 Stigma (sticky top), Style (the neck), ovary (Contains the ovules and eggs.)
B. All angiosperms produce seed enclosed in fruits.
C. All angiosperms produce Fruit (It is a ripened ovary.) Developed to promote seed dispersal by animals
eating the fruit.
1. Green fruit (unripened, hard, unscented, and sour – no sugar.)
2. Colored fruit (ripened, soft, scented, and sweet – lots of sugar.)(pericarp – skin of the
carpel/fruit.)
3. After fertilization the ovary wall thickens to become pulp of the fruit. (Inside are the seeds.)
D. Angiosperms are divided into two groups, based mainly on their seed, leaf and stem structure:
1. Monocots – The cotyledon is the part of the seed that provides food for the embryo. Monocots
have a one-part seed that does not split in two easily.
a. Grasses, including corn, are examples.
2. Dicots – the cotyledon is in two pieces, and splits easily.
a. Examples are pistachios, peanuts, English peas, apples, oaks and maple trees.
Unit 5: Diversity of Life
Content Outline: Introduction to Animals (5.7)
I.
Animal Characteristics:
A. All animals are all multicellular.
B. All animals are heterotrophs.
C. Animal cells do NOT have cell walls.
1 Junctions and collagen fibers hold cells together.
D. Most have muscle and nervous tissue for movement and responding to a changing environment.
E. Animals keep their internal body conditions the same (homeostasis).
F. Animals reproduce sexually.
G. Animals have adaptations for survival – structures and behaviors that allow them to perform their
functions.
II.
Body Plans of animals
A. The unique structure and organization of similar animals is its body plan.
1. Asymmetrical – There is no “recognizable” shape.
2. Radial – These animals are circular.
3. Bilateral – The animal’s right half looks similar to left half.
B. Organization into tissues, organs, and organ systems is similar within closely related groups.
1. Organ Systems present in most animals:
a. Nervous System – uses our senses, nerves, and brain to detect environmental stimulus
and cues as well as control bodily function.
b. Muscular/Bone System – support and moving the organism about the environment.
c. Circulatory System – moving oxygen and nutrients through an organism’s whole body.
d. Respiratory system – to perform gas exchange with the environment (O2 in; CO2 out)
e. Digestive system – to breakdown food to the cellular level for providing nutrients to the
cells
f. Excretory System – to dispose of liquid nitrogenous waste
III.
Classification of animals:
A. Animals are classified by their relationship to other animals.
1. Body structure, development, and DNA are also used to determine relationships.
2. Animals have been put into about 35 major groups.
3. Animals are classified mainly as either invertebrates or vertebrates.
a. Invertebrates do not have a backbone.
a. These are lower grade animals.
b. Most of these are aquatic life forms.
c. They account for 95% of all known animal life forms existing today.
d. The major groups of invertebrates include sponges, cnidarians, flatworms,
segmented worms, mollusks, roundworms, arthropods, and echinoderms
b. Vertebrates have a backbone.
a. These are mostly large and active animals.
b. The major vertebrate groups include fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and
mammals.
c. They have an axial skeleton supported by the backbone. (This helps lead to
larger size and better movement.)
i. Axial refers to “central” that all appendages come off of in an outward
fashion.
d. They have an advanced respiratory system. (This means more oxygen can be
obtained which then leads to larger and more active bodies.)
e. They have an advanced circulatory system. (A better way to move nutrients,
oxygen, and waste  bigger body.)
f. They have an advanced digestive system. (This allows for organisms to be able to
eat different foods  get more nutrients  more active and larger bodies.)
g. They have an advanced nervous system. (This allows them to control larger more
active body quickly when responding to the environment.)