Biology IGCSE
Revision Workbook
,IGCSE Revision Notes
Key words are underlined in red. Practical work
is printed in italics.
Section 1: The nature and variety of living
organisms
Characteristics of living organisms include;
M ovement
R espitation
S ensitivity
G rowth
R eproduction
E xcretion
N utrition
In addition, all living organisms contain nucleic acids (DNA)
and have the ability to control their internal conditions.
Finally, all living organisms can die.
Living organisms are classified into 5 groups, each of which
has certain characteristics you need to learn
Plants:
1. Multicellular organisms
2. Cells contain chloroplasts and are able to carry
out photosynthesis
3. Cells have cellulose cell walls
, 4. They store carbohydrates as starch or sucrose.
Examples include flowering plants, such as a cereal (e.g.
maize) and a herbaceous legume (e.g. peas or beans).
Animals:
1. Multicellular organisms
2. Cells do not contain chloroplasts and are not able to
carry out photosynthesis
3. Cells have no cell walls
4. They have a nervous system
5. They often store carbohydrate as glycogen
Examples include mammals (e.g. humans) and insects (e.g. housefly).
Fungi:
1. They are saprophytic and feed by excreting digestive
enzymes onto food and absorbing the digested products
2. Cells do not contain chloroplasts and are not able to carry
out photosynthesis
3. Cells are joined together to form threads, called hyphae.
Hyphae contain many nuclei, because they are made
from many cells.
4. Cell walls are made from chitin (a protein)
5. They store carbohydrates as glycogen.
Examples include Mucor and Yeast (which is single celled).
, Bacteria:
1. Made from single cells
2. Cells do not contain a nucleus, but have a small piece
of circular DNA instead (a bacterial chromosome).
3. Some bacteria can carry out rudimentary
photosynthesis, but most are saprophytes
4. They have the structure below (learn it, it comes up!)
Examples include Lactobacillius bulgaricus (a rod-shaped
bacterium used in the production of yoghurt from milk) and
Pneumococcus (a spherical bacterium that causes Pneumonia)
Protoctist:
Basically, everything that doesn’t fit into the other kingdoms!
Most are single celled organisms which can either;
1. Have animal-like characteristics (e.g. Amoeba)
2. Have plant-like characteristics (e.g. Chlorella)
However, some protoctists are multicellular (e.g. seaweeds,
yes they’re NOT plants!)
Viruses:
1. Much smaller than bacteria. They are not made from cells
2. Totally parasitic and reproduce inside host cells.
3. They infect every type of living cell
4. They have the structure below (learn it, it comes up!)
Revision Workbook
,IGCSE Revision Notes
Key words are underlined in red. Practical work
is printed in italics.
Section 1: The nature and variety of living
organisms
Characteristics of living organisms include;
M ovement
R espitation
S ensitivity
G rowth
R eproduction
E xcretion
N utrition
In addition, all living organisms contain nucleic acids (DNA)
and have the ability to control their internal conditions.
Finally, all living organisms can die.
Living organisms are classified into 5 groups, each of which
has certain characteristics you need to learn
Plants:
1. Multicellular organisms
2. Cells contain chloroplasts and are able to carry
out photosynthesis
3. Cells have cellulose cell walls
, 4. They store carbohydrates as starch or sucrose.
Examples include flowering plants, such as a cereal (e.g.
maize) and a herbaceous legume (e.g. peas or beans).
Animals:
1. Multicellular organisms
2. Cells do not contain chloroplasts and are not able to
carry out photosynthesis
3. Cells have no cell walls
4. They have a nervous system
5. They often store carbohydrate as glycogen
Examples include mammals (e.g. humans) and insects (e.g. housefly).
Fungi:
1. They are saprophytic and feed by excreting digestive
enzymes onto food and absorbing the digested products
2. Cells do not contain chloroplasts and are not able to carry
out photosynthesis
3. Cells are joined together to form threads, called hyphae.
Hyphae contain many nuclei, because they are made
from many cells.
4. Cell walls are made from chitin (a protein)
5. They store carbohydrates as glycogen.
Examples include Mucor and Yeast (which is single celled).
, Bacteria:
1. Made from single cells
2. Cells do not contain a nucleus, but have a small piece
of circular DNA instead (a bacterial chromosome).
3. Some bacteria can carry out rudimentary
photosynthesis, but most are saprophytes
4. They have the structure below (learn it, it comes up!)
Examples include Lactobacillius bulgaricus (a rod-shaped
bacterium used in the production of yoghurt from milk) and
Pneumococcus (a spherical bacterium that causes Pneumonia)
Protoctist:
Basically, everything that doesn’t fit into the other kingdoms!
Most are single celled organisms which can either;
1. Have animal-like characteristics (e.g. Amoeba)
2. Have plant-like characteristics (e.g. Chlorella)
However, some protoctists are multicellular (e.g. seaweeds,
yes they’re NOT plants!)
Viruses:
1. Much smaller than bacteria. They are not made from cells
2. Totally parasitic and reproduce inside host cells.
3. They infect every type of living cell
4. They have the structure below (learn it, it comes up!)
