Living Organisms Characterizing and classifying them

History of life• Earth = 1st life on earth began as single-celled prokaryotes .Bacteria!Isua Sediments …What are they? Why are they important?3.8 billion year old rock (not fossils)3.5 billion, BILLION years ago – Western Australia1st life forms found in fossils

~4.5 Billion Years old

BiologyThe study of life, and living things.Branches of Biology• Zoology – The scientific study of animals• Herpetology – Reptiles and Amphibians• Ornithology – Birds• Ichthyology - Fish• Mammalogy – Mammals

Snakes

Defining a living organism (ringer)

• Respire – Respiration provides energy• Irritability – Respond to their environment• Nourish - They feed themselves. (food and water)• Grow – The anterior processes allow them to develop• Excrete – Removal of unnecessary products• Reproduce – Ability to produce new young

Cells and the fact that living organisms use energy are important too

organizationVariation, natural selection and evolutionClassification: The organized placement of animals into categories based on physical & genetic characteristics.Taxonomy: Branch of science concerned with classification.

Classification

• Kingdom • 1.Monera (Bacteria) 2.Protista 3.Fungi 4.Plantae

5.Animalia

• Phylum • Class• Order• Family • Genus • Species

King Phillip Came Over From Good Spain!

Binomial Nomenclature• Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778)

Two-name classification systemTwo latin names (Genus, species) In italicsGenus (first letter always capitalized)species is always represented in lowercase

ex. Vicugna pacos

Monera (Bacteria & Viruses)• Bacteria are single-celled living organisms

• Fun fact: They have no true nucleus, no organelles, have cell membrane and cell wall

• Parasitic vs. saprotrophic (some photosynthesize) Binary fission – when living requirements are met

Virus Controversy – Are they really alive?Answer is: Most sources do not consider them livingWhy?Their Importance:• Pathogens – disease causing• Factors in nutrient cycles like the Nitrogen and Carbon Cycle• Serve as healthy bacteria in our stomachs• Food production (Yogurt, cheese, etc)

Diplococci (pneumonia) Bacillus (typhoid) Spirochete (syphilis, cholera) Staphilococcus (boils)

Protista• Eukaryotes (contain membrane-bound

organelles)• Amoebas, algae, paramecia, kelp (seaweed)• Some single-celled, others multi-cellular• Very simple beings. Some of the first living

eukaryotes

Fungi• Structure and function –

• Wide variety of sizes. Contain cell walls, cytoplasm, organelles.

• Saprotrophic feeding (They are DECOMPOSERS)• Environment: moist, warm, nutrient-rich, darkReproduction:Either by binary fission (duplication) but more commonly found reproducing by production of spores (unit of Asexual Reprod.)No Photosynthesis

PlantsKingdom: Plantae (4 main groups)

Algae (also protist), Mosses, Ferns, and Seed plants

Autotrophs – Producer of nutritional, organic substancesAlgae Mosses

PlantsFerns Seed Plants

Angiosperms (flower-bearing) vs. Gymnosperms (seed-bearing)• *Importance and basic function of seeds

Conifers

Invertebrates4 Phyla (groups) – handouts for HW1 due 28/10/15

1. Nematoda (nematodes) – Nematodes, hookwormsOften parasitic, soft-bodied, no segments, wriggle to move

2. Annelida (annelids) – roundworms, earthwormsDecomposers, hard-bodied, segmented, move with chaetae

3. Mollusca (molluscs) – Snails, mussels, octupus and chitonPrimarily herbivorous, soft-bodied (hard shell), no segments, swim or move by foot

4. Arthropoda – Insects, crustacea, myriapods, arachnidsMost numerous, chitinous exoskeleton, paired appendages and bilateral symmety

NematodaAlso referred to as roundwormsThe most numerous multicellular organisms on earthBodies are designed specifically for eating and reproductionOften parasitic

Annelida• Earthworms, bloodsuckers (leeches) and

bristle worms• Segmented, bilateral symmetry, 1mm to 3m• Coelom present

Mollusca

arthropoda• Largest Phylum in the Animal Kingdom

(+million sp.)• Bilateral symmetry• Hard exoskeleton (chitinous)• Paired appendages and segmented regions• Ecdysis…?

• d

VertebratesWho are they? What characteristics do they

possess?Why the Phylum vertebrata?

5 classesAll possess a backbone or spinal chordFish (Agnatha, Chondrichthyes, Osteichthyes)AmphibiaReptiliaAvesMammalia

Defining vertebrates• Contain a backbone (vertebral column)• Increased complexity and size in some cases• Both exothermic and now endothermic as well• Very small to some of the largest living organisms• Asexual ( very rare) but primarily Sexual

reproduction

Nutrient cycles• Carbon Cycle (Abiotic vs. Biotic compounds)• Nitrogen Cycle (Plant food and atmosphere component)

• Nitrogen Fixation and Nitrification = Need Oxygen!!!• Ultimate goal is to form Nitrate (plant food)

• Hydrologic Cycle (water cycle)

Genetic Engineering• The process of changing/improving an

organism by selecting and removing a desirable gene from one organism and introducing it into the genome of another. Examples of common BioEngineered crops

Corn, Soybean and CottonPurpose: Improve rate of progress, efficiency

Methods• Plasmid: Uses bacteria –• Vector: Uses viruses – Viruses reproduce by

invading a host cell and forcing replication of the desired genes

• Biolistic: “Bio Ballistic” “Gene Gun” Uses a machine or a gun to literally blast the desired gene into an individual along with Tungsten or Gold particles

GE with plants• Increased nutrition Longer shelf life• Larger fruit size Disease/insecticide

resistant• Terminator seeds Attractive appearance• Superweeds Quicker

growth/production

GE with animals• Atlantic salmon grow to market size twice as

fast as wild salmon• Chickens that are incapable of spreading

certain diseases• Cattle that are resistant to cause mad cow

disease • Glow-in-the-dark pigs!!!

Pros & Cons debatePROS

• ACONS

• A