Variety of living organisms

Organism Feature
Plants multicellular organisms
their cells contain chloroplasts and are
able to carry out photosynthesis
their cells have cellulose cell walls
they store carbohydrates as starch or
sucrose.
Animals multicellular organisms
their cells do not contain chloroplasts
and are not able to carry out
photosynthesis (heterotrophic nutrition)
they have no cell walls
they usually have nervous co-ordination
and are able to move from one place to
another
they often store carbohydrate as
glycogen
Fungi not able to carry out photosynthesis
their body is usually organised into a
mycelium made from thread-like
structures called hyphae, which contain
many nuclei
some are single-celled (yeast)
their cells have walls made of chitin
they feed by extracellular secretion of
digestive enzymes onto food material
and absorption of the organic products
(saprotrophic nutrition)
they may store carbohydrate as
glycogen
Examples include Mucor, which has the
typical fungal hyphal structure, and
yeast, which is single-celled.
Protoctists These are microscopic single-celled
organisms.
Some, like Amoeba, that live in pond
water, have features like an animal cell,
while others, like Chlorella, have
chloroplasts and are more like plants
(algae).
Amoeba is commonly found in the mud
in fresh water ponds and ditches
containing decaying leaves.
Euglena is abundantly found in stagnant
Variety of living organisms
waters such as pools, ponds, ditches
etc.
A pathogenic example is Plasmodium,
responsible for causing malaria.

Bacteria

These are microscopic single-celled organisms

They have a cell wall, cell membrane, cytoplasm and plasmids
They lack a nucleus but contain a circular chromosome of DNA
Some bacteria can carry out photosynthesis (cyanobacteria) but most feed off other
living or dead organisms.
Examples include Lactobacillus bulgaricus, a rod-shaped bacterium used in the
production of yoghurt from milk, and Pneumococcus, a spherical bacterium that acts
as the pathogen causing pneumonia

Q1 State the functions of the structures of a bacterial cell

A. Cell wall
B. Capsule
Variety of living organisms
C. Chromosome
D. Flagella
E. Plasmids

Q2 State 5 beneficial activities of bacteria.

Variety of living organisms
Virus

They are non-living and made up of DNA surrounded by protein coat. They can
replicate. But they cannot reproduce on their own. They reproduce when inside a
living cell (parasitic).
Viruses are extremely small particles and can be seen only under electron
microscope.
They are smaller than the smallest bacteria and can pass through filters which retain
bacteria.
They have no cellular structure but have a protein coat and contain one type of
nucleic acid, either DNA or RNA.

Pathogen

A pathogen is a biological agent, or germ, that causes disease to its host by interrupting
normal body processes. Bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites are all common types of
pathogens that can cause pathogenic, or infectious, diseases. These pathogens can be
found in the air, soil and water, and infection can occur as a result of touching, eating or
drinking something that is infected with a germ.

Organism Diseases caused.

Bacteria Cholera
Variety of living organisms
pneumonia
Typhoid
Tetanus
Tuberculosis

Fungi Athlete's Foot

Yeast infection
Mildew/blight in plants

Protoctists Malaria
(protozoa) Amoebic Dysentery

Virus Chickenpox.
Flu (influenza)
Polio
Mumps, measles and rubella.
Shingles
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV/AIDS)
Tobacco mosaic virus in tobacco plants