Classification glossary
Animals: multicellular organisms that eat other organisms to obtain energy
Biology: the study of living things
Cells: basic building blocks of all living organisms
Characteristics: features used to help classify organisms/items into different groups
Chlorophyll: a green substance found in most plants; it is used in photosynthesis
Classification: process of sorting objects (with similar characteristics) into groups
Dead: an object that was once alive
Decomposers: organisms (fungi) which break down dead organisms
Endoskeleton: a skeleton that is inside an organism's body
Excretion: an organism's ability to get rid of waste products from its body
Exoskeleton: a skeleton that is on the outside of an organism's body
Functional characteristics: the way an organism functions
Growth: the ability of an organism to increase in size
Invertebrates: animals without backbones
Key: an easy way to classify different organisms as separate groups, usually two options at each point of variation, e.g. wings or no
wings
Kingdom: a large group of similar organisms e.g. animal or plant
Life functions: processes which make living things different from non-living e.g. movement, respiration, growth
Living: an organism that undergoes all living functions
Movement: an organism's ability to move; plants move towards light and water
Non-living: an object that has never been alive
Nutrition: food obtained by organisms by either making their own food (plants) or eating others (animals) in order to gain energy for life
functions like movement and growth
Organism: any living thing
Photosynthesis: a process by which plants make food (carbohydrates)
Plants: multicellular organisms that produce their own food via photosynthesis
Reproduction: the process by which living things produce offspring
Respiration: the process of releasing energy from food
Sensitivity: an organism's ability to respond to changes in its environment
Species: a small group of organisms that look alike and can breed amongst themselves to produce fertile offspring
Structural characteristics: different structures of an organism
Vertebrates: animals that have backbones
Biology: the study of living things
Cells: basic building blocks of all living organisms
Characteristics: features used to help classify organisms/items into different groups
Chlorophyll: a green substance found in most plants; it is used in photosynthesis
Classification: process of sorting objects (with similar characteristics) into groups
Dead: an object that was once alive
Decomposers: organisms (fungi) which break down dead organisms
Endoskeleton: a skeleton that is inside an organism's body
Excretion: an organism's ability to get rid of waste products from its body
Exoskeleton: a skeleton that is on the outside of an organism's body
Functional characteristics: the way an organism functions
Growth: the ability of an organism to increase in size
Invertebrates: animals without backbones
Key: an easy way to classify different organisms as separate groups, usually two options at each point of variation, e.g. wings or no
wings
Kingdom: a large group of similar organisms e.g. animal or plant
Life functions: processes which make living things different from non-living e.g. movement, respiration, growth
Living: an organism that undergoes all living functions
Movement: an organism's ability to move; plants move towards light and water
Non-living: an object that has never been alive
Nutrition: food obtained by organisms by either making their own food (plants) or eating others (animals) in order to gain energy for life
functions like movement and growth
Organism: any living thing
Photosynthesis: a process by which plants make food (carbohydrates)
Plants: multicellular organisms that produce their own food via photosynthesis
Reproduction: the process by which living things produce offspring
Respiration: the process of releasing energy from food
Sensitivity: an organism's ability to respond to changes in its environment
Species: a small group of organisms that look alike and can breed amongst themselves to produce fertile offspring
Structural characteristics: different structures of an organism
Vertebrates: animals that have backbones
Cells glossary
Asexual reproduction: reproduction involving a single parent to produce identical cells
Cell membrane: a thin covering surrounding a cell which holds everything in the cell, gives it shape and controls movement of substances into
and out of the cell
Cell wall: a rigid layer of cellulose on the outside of plant cells
Cells: the building blocks of all living things
Cytoplasm: a jelly-like substance which fills most of the cell. Chemical reactions take place here.
High power: the greatest magnification with a microscope
Lens: the part of a microscope which magnifies the image
Low power: least magnification with a microscope
Multicellular: organisms made up of many cells
Nucleus: control centre of the cell where the DNA is located
Organ: a group of tissues with a particular function. E.g. heart, liver, skin
Organ system: a group of organs operating together to carry out a function. E.g. excretory system includes kidneys, bladder, and connecting
tubes
Organelles: small structures found in cell cytoplasm which have specific functions
Sexual reproduction: reproduction involving two parents (one male and one female) to produce offspring
Stage: the platform of a microscope on which a slide is placed
Tissue: a group of similar cells found together performing a similar function
Unicellular: single-cell organisms
Vacuole: liquid-filled space in the cell that stores water and food; usually largest in plant cells
Cell membrane: a thin covering surrounding a cell which holds everything in the cell, gives it shape and controls movement of substances into
and out of the cell
Cell wall: a rigid layer of cellulose on the outside of plant cells
Cells: the building blocks of all living things
Cytoplasm: a jelly-like substance which fills most of the cell. Chemical reactions take place here.
High power: the greatest magnification with a microscope
Lens: the part of a microscope which magnifies the image
Low power: least magnification with a microscope
Multicellular: organisms made up of many cells
Nucleus: control centre of the cell where the DNA is located
Organ: a group of tissues with a particular function. E.g. heart, liver, skin
Organ system: a group of organs operating together to carry out a function. E.g. excretory system includes kidneys, bladder, and connecting
tubes
Organelles: small structures found in cell cytoplasm which have specific functions
Sexual reproduction: reproduction involving two parents (one male and one female) to produce offspring
Stage: the platform of a microscope on which a slide is placed
Tissue: a group of similar cells found together performing a similar function
Unicellular: single-cell organisms
Vacuole: liquid-filled space in the cell that stores water and food; usually largest in plant cells