1.1 Characteristics of Living Organisms — Studia

REVISION NOTES

IGCSE Edexcel Biology

1.1 Characteristics of Living Organisms

1.1.1 Understand how living organisms share the following characteristics:

They require nutrition
They respire
They excrete their waste
They respond to their surroundings
They move
They control their internal conditions
They reproduce
They grow and develop.

Characteristics of living organisms

All living organisms share the same characteristics
Acronym: MRS H GREN

Movement	A change in position or place
Respiration	Chemical reactions that break down glucose to release energy needed for cellular activities
Sensitivity	Ability to detect and respond to stimuli in the surroundings
Homeostasis	Control of internal environment in order to keep conditions within required limits
Growth	Permanent increase in size
Reproduction	Production of more of the same kind of organism
Excretion	Removal of toxic materials and wastes from organisms
Nutrition	Taking of food to provide energy

1. The Nature & Variety of Living Organisms

1.1 Characteristics of Living Organisms

1.2 Variety of Living Organisms

2. Structure & Function in Living Organisms

2.1 Level of Organisation

2.2 Cell Structure

2.3 Biological Molecules

2.4 Movement of Substances Into and Out of Cells

2.5 Nutrition (in Plants)

2.6 Nutrition (in Human)

2.7 Respiration

2.8 Gas Exchange (in Plants)

2.9 Gas Exchange (in Human)

2.10 Transport (in Plants)

2.11 Transport (in Human)

2.12 Excretion (in Plants)

2.13 Excretion (in Human)

2.14 Coordination and Response (in Plants)

2.15 Coordination and Response (in Human)

3. Reporduction & Inheritance

3.1 Reproduction (in Plants)

3.2 Reproduction (in Human)

3.3 Inheritance

4. Ecology & The Environment

4.1 The Organism in the Environment

4.2 Feeding Relationships

4.3 Cycles within Ecosystems

4.4 Human Influences on the Environment

5. Use of Biological Resources

5.1 Food Production

5.2 Selective Breeding

5.3 Genetic Modification (Genetic Engineering)