Topics in Biology
Tropical savanna explained with its characteristics Ecological pyramid explained with its importance and limitations Hindbrain: Medulla Oblongata and its features Food web explained with examples Biology Scheme of Work, SS1, First Term Biology Scheme of Work, SS1, 2nd Term Biology Scheme of Work, SS1, 3rd Term Male accessory sex organs: Seminal vesicles and bulbourethral glands Scrotum and its contents: Testicles Brain: Introduction to the human brain Forebrain: Lobes of the cerebrum and their functions Cerebellum: Parts and functions of the cerebellum Midbrain: Division and functions of the midbrain Negative feedback mechanism in homeostasis Arterial disorders explained with their causes Types of desert and their characteristics Characteristics of tropical rainforest Swamp forest: What are swamp forests? Characteristics of swamp forests Savanna biome: Concept of the savannaAcademic Questions in Biology
In a food chain, the primary consumers are classified under trophic level _____.
A. Zero
B. One
C. Two
D. Three
E. Four
F. Five
Cold blooded animals are referred to as _____.
A. Homeotherms
B. Endotherms
C. Poilokitherms
D. Ectotherms
E. Thermotherms
F. None of the above
All reptiles are vertebrates.
A. True
B. False
_____ cells are responsible for the formation of osteoblasts.
_____ is a bone that constitute the axial skeleton.
Which of the following is false concerning cartilages and bones?
A diagram showing the movement of energy through a food chain is called a _____.
Which of the following is NOT a part of the wrist bones (or carpal bones)?
Biology is the study of life. If an organism is to be considered as living, it must possess certain basic life characteristics; for instance, a stone cannot move and this makes it non-living.
The point in the above instance is; every living organism must be able to move. As a result, movement is regarded as one of the basic characteristics of life.
Please read on an introduction to biology and the concept of viruses here.
Below are the basic characteristics of living organisms:
1. Movement: All living organisms move. Movement should not be confused with locomotion.
Locomotion requires a change of position while movement does not necessarily require a change of position. For instance, plants undergo bending movements while remaining on the same point (or position). Animals on the other hand can move from one point to another (locomotion).
When a plant is put in a dark room, it will attempt to move or bend towards light. This is known as positive phototaxis.
2. Respiration: Respiration is quite different from breathing. For respiration to occur, the process of breathing must first take place.
Breathing implies the exchange of gases. For instance, organisms breathe in oxygen (inhalation) and breathe out carbon(IV)oxide (exhalation). Conversely, respiration focuses on the use of the inhaled oxygen.
Inhaled oxygen is used for oxidizing or breaking down digested food (usually glucose) to produce energy (ATP); and this is what aerobic respiration entails.
Glucose is a simple sugar derived from the breakdown of carbohydrates (or complex sugars).
Please read on carbohydrates and sugars here.
Carbon(IV)oxide and water are waste products from aerobic respiration, thus organisms breathe them out.
Note: Respiration can also be anaerobic if food is broken down in the absence of oxygen.
Aerobic respiration occurs in an organelle of the cell called mitochondria and ATP is generated through the process. For this reason, the mitochondria is often regarded as the power house of the cell.
ATP is an acronym for Adenosine Tri Phosphate.
3. Nutrition: All living organisms must feed to stay alive. Without food, organisms will neither grow, reproduce nor excrete.
Plants are organisms that manufacture their own food and are thus referred to as autotrophs. Animals on the other hand depend on ready made food, thus are referred to as heterotrophs.
4. Irritability: All organisms must be able to respond to stimuli if they are to survive in their environment. As an instance, a desert plant will have its root penetrating deep into the soil in order to get water.
Based on survival instincts, all animals will attempt to fight or run for survival whenever they sense danger.
Please read on the uniqueness of man here.
Note: A stimulus is anything that can elicit a physiological response in an organism. Stimulus can be either external or internal.
The sense organs (eyes, nose, ear, tongue and skin) acts as sensory receptors to external stimuli; that is, they receive stimuli from our environment. Examples of stimuli include touch, pressure, heat, cold, light, pain, water, sound, chemicals and so on.
Another name for irritability is sensitivity
5. Growth: All living organisms must grow in size and mass. The food we eat (preferably protein) provides the basis for our growth through cell division. In addition to enhancing growth, protein also repair worn out tissues.
6. Excretion: All living organisms must remove metabolic waste product form their body. Metabolic waste products include water, urea, carbon(IV)oxide, sweat and so on.
Feces is not a metabolic waste product. This is so because it isn't produced via the body cells. Rather, they are undigested materials eaten via the mouth but didn’t even enter the body cells in the first instance. Inshort, they are not absorbed by the intestines into the body cells.
In larger animals, The removal of solid undigested materials from the anus is termed as egestion.
7. Reproduction: All living organisms have the ability to reproduce; that is, give birth to their young or offspring. Reproduction ensures the continuity of life for the various species of organism.
Living organisms reproduce in two ways:
When both sex cells meet (usually inside the female, but could also take place externally); fertilization occurs and a zygote is formed.
The reproduction involving sperm and egg is termed sexual reproduction.
Please read on the male reproductive system here.
The parent organism reproduces by dividing itself (cell division or binary fission), budding, spore formation or some other means.
Reproduction in this manner is termed asexual reproduction.
Please read on asexual reproduction in plants (plant propagation).
8. Death: All living organism must die. After death occurs, an organism will be considered as non-living because it cannot carry out other life characteristics.
Normally, living organisms are expected to grow and mature before they die.
Death is said to occur when an organism cannot carry out the other basic characteristics of life.
9. Adaptation: All living organisms must adapt to their environment if they are to survive. For instance, a fish is able to live in water because it has gills and fins.
Also, a camel is able to survive in the desert because it has large feet to aid walking on sand without sinking. It also has long eyelashes to help protect it from the blowing sand and wind.
Please read on desert biome, types and characteristics of desert here.
The point is:
All organisms have various features on them that enables them adapt within their habitat.
Note: Plants are also able to live in different habitats because they have the required adaptive features towards that habitat. For instance:
10. Competition: Due to the limitation of resources, all living organisms must be able to compete for the necessary available resources if they are to stay alive.
The limited resources include food, water, light, mates, space and so on.
You may have observed that male lizards (with red necks) map out their territories in order to enjoy all the resources within it. To this end they will usually undergo fierce competition from their male counterparts before such territories can become theirs.
The above form of behavior in male lizards is termed territorial behavior or territoriality.
Need more answers to this topic? Please enter your search below:
Kindly share this article via the links below:
![]()
Alfred Ajibola is a Medical Biochemist, a passionate Academician with over 10 years of experience, a Versatile Writer, a Web Developer, a Cisco Certified Network Associate and a Cisco CyberOps Associate.
Please click here to follow Len Academy on Google News.
Please like and follow our official facebook page here for great educational write-ups.
You can follow Len Academy on twitter here.Thank you.
Please Register here or Login here to contribute to this topic by commenting in the box below.
Amazing facts in Biology
99% of a panda's diet is bamboo. They may eat fish or other small animals occasionally
When attacked by insects, lima beans plant will often command parasitic wasps to their defence.
When the leaves of the lima bean's leaves are eaten by insects, the plant gives off a substance that signals parasitic wasps to swam in, destroying its enemies (the leaf-eating insects) in the process
Frogs drink water through their skin
Armadillos are western mammals known for their unique armor-like shell which are bulletproof
Although zebras are known for their characteristics black and white stripes, we still have some polka-dotted zebras
Charles Darwin is a British naturalist and biologist who contributed greatly into the study of evolution. According to research, he frequently ate the animals he studied
Lungs are the only human organ that can float on water
Unlike most snakes that lay eggs, anacondas give birth to live babies
A shrimp's heart is in its head
Women have more pain receptors than men
NOTABLE POINTS IN Biology
For a thing to be considered living, it must possess all the basic characteristics of life. These include:
Movement
Respiration
Nutrition
Irritability or Sensitivity
Growth
Excretion
Reproduction
Death
Adaptation
Competition
Please read the explanations on all the basic characteristics of life here
During strenuous exercises like sprinting or running, your body may actually work in the shortage of oxygen. During this time, your body owes oxygen (called oxygen debt) and it must be replenished or repayed after the exercise is stopped. This is why you breathe excess of oxygen after you stopped the exercise.
This is the concept of anaerobic respiration
A food chain is a diagram that shows the relationship between plants and animals within a habitat on the basis of how they rely on each other for food.
Note: Habitat is a place where an organism live. It is of three types:
The term Biology originated from two Greek words. They are:
Bios: means life.
Logos: means knowledge or to study.
Biology can therefore be defined as the study of life
Anything that has life is generally considered as a living organism (or organism). All living organisms must be able to carry the following activities:
Movement
Respiration
Nutrition
Irritability or Sensitivity
Growth
Excretion
Reproduction
Death
Adaptation
Competition
The above listed points are often regarded as the basic characteristics of life. You can memorize them using the acronym -> MR. NIGER DAC.
You can read on the introduction to biology and the basic characteristics of life here
The gas used in the manufacture of food by plants is Carbon dioxide or Carbon(IV)oxide or CO2
Plants manufacture food through a process called photosynthesis.
Please read on photosynthesis here
It is noteworthy to state that plants are the only orgnisms that take away CO2 from the atmosphere