High Schoolers 1st Chap-1

What is biology?
The study of life and living organisms
The big bang theory

A theory that states that all the matter that made the universe
remained at a single point or location, which caused a blast
which developed into everything in the universe.
Our planet was a dry rock when it first formed — water was a
late addition, by asteroids from the icy outer solar system. Only
after water was available on earth the first living organisms
Prokaryotes appeared 2.8 billion years after the formation of
earth.
Living organisms are categorized into 5 kingdoms.
Prokaryotes For Example: Monora

Protista For example: Algae
Plants For example: Trees
Fungi For example: Mushrooms
Animals For example: Cats
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2
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The sequence of kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genes and species is called
a Hierarchy of classification.
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A) Vertebrates (animals with a backbone), that are further divided into 5 classes.
i. Fish: Animals that live underwater. They are aquatic (they breath through their
gills)
ii. Amphibians: Animals that can live underwater and also in land
iii. Reptiles: They are cold-blooded, have dry skin covered with scales and usually
lay soft-shelled eggs.
iv. Bird: A warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrate animal distinguished by the

feathers, wings, a beak, and typically by being able to fly.
v. Mammals: Are animals (such as Humans) that nourish their young with milk
with the milk they self produce.
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B) Invertebrates (animals without a backbone). That are also divided into 4 groups:
i. Nematodes: Roundworms are cylindrical worms parasitic in animals or plants or

free-living in soil or water.
ii. Annelids: segmented worms such as earthworms.
iii. Molluscs: Have a soft body with a shell.
iv. Arthropods: Arthropods are the most numerous of all animals in terms of the
number of different species and the number of individuals in any one species.
They show an interesting adaptation allows them to use the resources of their
habitat to the Maximum . The Arthropod phylum includes Classes:
▪️Crustacea: Animals with a hard shell and several pairs of legs,
▪️ Insects: have segmented head, thorax, and abdomen, hexapods (three pairs of
legs), and typically one or two pairs of wings.
▪️ Arachnids: All Arachnids have eight legs, and unlike insects, they don’t have
antennae. Their bodies are divided into two sections.
▪️Myriapods: Are multi-segmented Centipedes and Millipedes.
 Centipedes have one set of legs  Millipedes have two sets of

per segment on the sides
legs per segment directly
 They are fast Centipedes mostly
under their body.
eat insects after killing them with
 They are slow
their venom.
 Centipedes prefer dry
 feast on decomposing
environments. Millipedes can be found in
 Centipedes have two sets of moist forest areas, plants.
Nematodes Annelids Arthropods Molluscs
 They are poisonous
antennae—one pair on their
head and the other at their back  They have one pair of antenna
ends on their heads
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What about viruses?
When taxonomists were classifying animals no one was able to find a place for the group of organisms
called the viruses. This is because viruses do not show the typical features of living things- respiration
nutrition and reproduction for example. Unless they are inside the cells of another living organism. In
other words all viruses are parasites and therefore cause harm to their host. Some taxonomists have
suggested that viruses belong in a sixth Kingdom. There is great variation in the structure of viruses but
they all have certain common features the structure of a typical virus is shown below.
Genetic material – may be or RNA, but

always a strand.
Protein coat protects the single strand

of nucleic acid. Made of many
subunits.
Spikes — may contact and recognize

the cell to be infected.
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Animals that eat only plants are Herbivores,
Animals that eat only meat are Carnivores,
Animals eat both plants and meat, they are called
Omnivores.
All animals have teeth that are adapted to eating certain

types of food.
Herbivores,have strong and flat molars for grinding

plants.
Carnivores,have very defined canine teeth for tearing at

meat, combined with a sometimes limited number of
molars.
Omnivores, have a combination of sharp front teeth and

molars for grinding.
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Food Chain
A food chain refers to the flow of nutrients and energy
from one organism to another. Which is shown by the
consumption of one animal by another.
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A food chain consist of:
THE SOURCE: sun is the initial source of energy.
THE ARROWS: Represents the flow of energy, in each

step the energy is lost therefore the energy available for
the next organism decreases. It can be lost in many ways
for example in respiration or excretion.
PRIMARY PRODUCERS: They are organisms which can

produce their own food (autotrophic) they are at the
bottom of the food chain and provide food and nutrients
to the consumers.
PRAY: Animals that are eaten by PREDATORS, which are

usually HERBIVORES but can also be CARNIVORES.
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PREDATORS: Predators are Carnivores and/or Omnivores
that prey on herbivores and/or other predators.
• SECONDARY CONSUMERS: Eat Primary

Consumers
• TERTIARY CONSUMERS: Eat primary and

secondary consumers, they are typically
found at the top of food chains, and are
sometimes referred to as apex predators.
• APEX CONSUMER: Consumers with few to

no predators of their own.
DECOMPOSERS: break down dead animals or

SCAVENGERS: Consume dead animals ex: hyenas.
Difference between a food chain and food web:
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A food chain outlines who eats whom. A food web is all
of the food chains in an ecosystem.
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What is biology?

The study of life and living organisms

The big bang theory

Living organisms are categorized into 5 kingdoms.

Prokaryotes For Example: Monora

iv. Bird: A warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrate animal distinguished by the

i. Nematodes: Roundworms are cylindrical worms parasitic in animals or plants or

ii. Annelids: segmented worms such as earthworms.

iii. Molluscs: Have a soft body with a shell.

▪️Crustacea: Animals with a hard shell and several pairs of legs,

▪️Myriapods: Are multi-segmented Centipedes and Millipedes.

 Centipedes have one set of legs  Millipedes have two sets of

Genetic material – may be or RNA, but

Protein coat protects the single strand

Spikes — may contact and recognize

All animals have teeth that are adapted to eating certain

Herbivores,have strong and flat molars for grinding

Carnivores,have very defined canine teeth for tearing at

Omnivores, have a combination of sharp front teeth and

THE SOURCE: sun is the initial source of energy.

THE ARROWS: Represents the flow of energy, in each

PRIMARY PRODUCERS: They are organisms which can

PRAY: Animals that are eaten by PREDATORS, which are

• SECONDARY CONSUMERS: Eat Primary

• TERTIARY CONSUMERS: Eat primary and

• APEX CONSUMER: Consumers with few to

DECOMPOSERS: break down dead animals or

Difference between a food chain and food web:

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