1. VARIETY OF LIFE, ADAPTATION AND COMPETITION
WJEC Biology
Module 1

2. Variety of Life – Pupil Activity
Watch the first 25 minutes of David Attenborough’s “Life”
Challenges of life

3. Learning outcomes
understand that living organisms show a range of sizes, features and complexity.
Appreciate the broad descriptive grouping into
plants – non-flowering and flowering;
animals - invertebrates and vertebrates;
microorganisms – fungi, bacteria, algae.

4. Biology Biology is the study of living organisms
How do we decide if something is living or non living?

5. Variety of Life

6. What is Life?

7. Would an alien think this car is alive?
Aliens land on Earth and watch things carefully to tell whether they are alive or not.
Would an alien think this car is alive?

8. Why aren’t fluffy toys alive? Fluffy toys often look like real animals

9. Variety of Life
There are over 30 million different kinds of living organisms on the planet.
These living organisms show a range of
Sizes
Microscopic bacteria  blue whale
Features
Complexity
Single celled organisms  Mammals
All living organisms carry out life processes

10. Life Processes
If something is alive it will carry out all of the seven life processes.
Movement
Respiration
Sensitivity
Growth
Reproduction
Excretion
Nutrition

11. Characteristics of Living Things
M is for movement
Animals move to find food, shelter or a mate.
Plants do not move in the same way as animals but move towards sunlight.

12. Characteristics of Living Things
R is for reproduction
Animals lay eggs or have babies.
Seeds from plants grow into new plants.

13. Characteristics of Living Things
S is for sensitivity.
Animals find their way using their sense organs such as the eyes or skin.
Plants don’t have sense organs but do respond to gravity and light.

14. Characteristics of Living Things
G is for growth
Growth is an increase in size
Animals stop growing when they reach adult size.
Plants grow throughout their lives.

15. Characteristics of Living Things
R is for respiration
Respiration is the release of energy from food.
This usually needs oxygen.

16. Characteristics of Living Things
E is for excretion
All living things produce waste.
The removal of this waste is called excretion.
Animals excrete through their lungs, kidneys and skin.
Plants shed their leaves in autumn

17. Characteristics of Living Things
N is for nutrition
All living things need food for energy, growth and repair.
Animals have to find their own food and eat plants and other animals.
Plants make their own food by the process of photosynthesis.

18. Grouping Living organisms
The similarities and differences that exist between organisms allow us to put them into groups
Broad groups include
Animals
Vertebrates and invertebrates
Plants
Flowering plants and non flowering plants
Microorganisms
Bacteria, fungi and algae

19. Learning Objectives
know that organisms which have similar features and characteristics can be classified together in a logical way.
Understand the need for a scientific system for identification and the need for scientific as opposed to 'common' names.
Know that international committees decide on scientific names.

20. Classification Game
In groups move around the classroom looking at the photographs
Identify the organisms
Classify them correctly under the correct headings
There will be a reward for the highest scoring group sheet.

21. Classification Variation = differences between organisms
This variety allows Biologist’s to classify organisms into groups
Each of these groups contain organisms which have certain features in common

22. Classification - Kingdoms
The current classification system splits all organisms into 5 Kingdoms

23. Five Kingdom Classification
Bacteria
Very small and single-celled, no nucleus
Protoctists
Single celled, with a nucleus
Fungi
Cell walls contain chitin, with a nucleus
Plants
Multicellular organisms
Can make food through photosynthesis
Animals
Multicellular
Have to obtain food

24. Divisions of classification
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
species

25. Animal Kingdom The animal kingdom is divided into two groups
Vertebrates
Animals with a backbone
Invertebrates
Animals without a backbone

26. Classification of Vertebrates
Phylum Chordata – the vertebrates
Split into five classes
Mammals
Fish
Birds
Reptiles
Amphibians
Each class has distinctive features

27. mammals

28. Fish

29. Birds

30. Reptiles

31. Amphibians

32. Examples for classification
Kingdom Animal Animal
Phylum Vertebrate Vertebrate
Class Mammals Mammals
Order Carnivore Carnivore
Family Felicidae Felicidae
Genus Panthera Panthera
Species Leo tigris
LION TIGER

33. Prep: Choose an animal and a plant
Write out how that organism is classified
E.g. Lion
Kingdom Animal
Phylum Vertebrate
Class Mammals
Order Carnivore
Family Felicidae
Genus Panthera
Species Leo

34. Classification - Naming
The basic unit of classification is the species.
A species is a group of organisms that can breed together to produce fertile offspring.

35. Naming Species
In the Binomial system organisms are identified by two names
Genus and species
Genus always has a capital letter
Always written in italics or underlined
It is in Latin
This allows it to be understood all over the world as the scientific name is universal
Examples
Canis lupus – the wolf
Panthera leo – the lion

36. Know that recently the 3 Domain classification has been preferred to the 5 Kingdom classification.
Know that morphological features or DNA analysis can be used and as more information becomes available changes are made to the classification.

37. 5 Kingdom vs 3 Domain 5 Kingdoms 3 Domains Plant Eukarya Animal Fungi
Protoctists
Prokaryota
(Monera)
Archaea
Bacteria

38. Kingdom vs Domain There are two types of organism
Eukaryotes – cells contain a nucleus
Prokaryotes – cells do not contain a nucleus
In the 5 Kingdom classification
Eukaryotes are split into four Kingdoms – plants, animals, fungi and protoctists
Prokaryotes are all grouped together into one Kingdom

39. Recent DNA evidence suggests that the prokaryotes can be split into two distinct groups
Archaea which are more closely linked with the Eukarya
Bacteria – have a more ancient ancestor

41. Evidence for classification

42. Learning Objectives
To be able to identify special adaptive features of animals
To appreciate how adaptations allow an animal to survive in hostile environments
To recognise the adaptations of plants for different environments

43. Adaptations Living things adapt to their environment. Animal
Watch the video clip, and then try to fill in the table explaining how the creature is adapted to it’s environment.
Animal
Adaptation
How this helps them survive

44. Adaptations in different animals
Look at the animals on the worksheet, for each one try to give where it lives and an example of how it is adapted for survival in its environment.

45. Adaptations in different animals
Look at the animals on the worksheet, for each one try to give where it lives and an example of how it is adapted for survival in its environment.

46. Adaptations

47. Adaptations You need to be able to:
Explain how animals are adapted for survival in arctic and desert environments in terms of:
Body size and surface area
Thickness of insulating coat
Amount of body fat
Camouflage
Explain how plants are adapted to survive in arid conditions
Suggest how organisms are adapted to the conditions in which they live.

48. Pupil Activity Surviving in different environments.
Read all information carefully
Answer questions 3 - 9

49. Adaptations to seasonal changes
Hibernation – animals build up a fat layer and sleep through the worst of the winter months.
Migration – animals move off to warmer climes.
Insulation – many animals grow thicker fur.
Leaf shedding
Food storing

50. Adaptation
An adaptation is a feature that allows an organism to survive in the environment in which it lives.
Examples
Polar bears and Arctic foxes are adapted to survive in the Arctic
A camel and the Fennec fox are adapted to live in hot arid (desert) conditions

51. Adaptations of a polar bear to Arctic conditions
Small head and ears
White fur
Compact body shape
Thick layer of fur
Thick layer of fat

52. Adaptations – polar bear
Survival Advantage
A small head and ears
Smaller surface area to reduce heat loss
Compact body shape
Smaller surface area to volume ratio to reduce heat loss
Thick layer of fur
Traps air, which is a good insulator
Thick layer of fat
Insulates against heat loss
Acts as a food reserve during hibernation
White fur
Camouflage
Reduce heat radiated from the body

53. Pupil Activity For each of the adaptations labelled on the polar bear
Explain how each adaptation helps the animal survive in the conditions where it lives
Adaptation
polar bear
Survival Advantage
White fur
Radiates less heat energy – prevent heat loss

54. Adaptation of a camel to arid conditions
Fatty hump
Thin hair on top of body
Nostrils which can close
Two rows of eyelashes
Long legs and neck
No hair on underside of body
Sandy colouring
Little body fat

55. Camel – designed for desert conditions
A camel’s hump is a fat store. It can break down fat to release water.
A camel can drink large amounts of water.
Its mouth is tough so that it can eat thorny plants like cacti.
Coarse wool on top of its body protects the camel from the sun.
Big flat feet stop it sinking into the sand.
Short hair underneath the camel lets heat escape.

56. Pupil Activity For each of the adaptations labelled on the camel
Explain how each adaptation helps the animal survive in the conditions where it lives
Adaptation
Camel
Survival Advantage 56

57. Adaptations - Camel Adaptation Survival Advantage Fatty hump
Metabolic source of water
Nostrils which can close
Close for protection during sandstorms
Long legs and neck
Increase surface area for heat loss
Thin hair on top of body
Allow heat loss
Sandy colouring
Camouflage from predators
Two rows of eyelashes
Prevent sand from entering the eyes
No hair on underside of body
Makes heat loss easier
Little body fat
Increase heat loss from skin capillaries

58. Adaptations of the house leek to rocky outcrops
Fleshy green leaves
Short stem
Waxy, shiny outer covering to the leaves
Long roots

59. Adaptations to water loss a cactus in the desert
Leaves reduced to spines – to reduce water loss through stoma
Swollen stem
stores water
Wide spread root
systems to increase
surface area for absorption.

60. Pupil Activity For each of the adaptations labelled on the house leek
Explain how each adaptation helps plant survive conditions on a rocky outcrop.
Adaptation
Survival Advantage 60

61. Adaptations – House leek
Survival advantage

62. Pupil Activity
Arctic Fox
Fennec Fox

63. Homework - Prep
To draw labelled diagrams of a plant or animal, describing the adaptation and detailing the survival advantage of each adaptation.

64. extreme environments
Environmental extremes for small plants and animals on the Antarctic Peninsula
Write out a list of environmental conditions you think that an organism living on the Antarctic peninsula

65. Antarctic conditions Extreme cold in the winter
Fairly mild summers (up to 45 °F), with rock and moss surface temperatures of up to 70 °F
Very short growing season each year for the plants that provide food for small organisms
Intense ultraviolet light due to the hole in the ozone layer
High winds on small islands
Extreme dryness
Exposure to high acidity, due to immersion in penguin guano (waste) during summer breeding season
Possible immersion in both salt and freshwater due to weather and tides in the summer

66. Prep
Draw a labelled diagram of an animal or plant adapted to survive on the Antarctic peninsula.
This organism can be real or fictitious

67. Terrestrial Organisms of the Antarctic Peninsula and their adaptations

68. Learning Outcomes
To know that the distribution and number of organisms in a habitat can be explained in terms of adaptation, competition, predation and pollution

69. Factors affecting population size

70. Populations
A population is a group of individuals of the same species living in a particular habitat at the same time.
The number of individuals present in the population will depend on how they can interact with two types of factor.

71. Populations Biotic (living) Abiotic (non living)
food, disease, predation, mates and competition
Abiotic (non living)
water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, temperature and light intensity

72. Populations Populations need things called resources to grow.
Organisms that are better suited (adapted) to compete are more likely to survive and have offspring

73. Competition Competition between members of the same species
Organisms produce more offspring than can survive
This leads to competition
If there is plenty of food the population is likely to increase, if food is depleted it is likely that population size will decrease

74. Gannets VS
Gannets are sea birds that catch fish by diving head first into the water.
They live and breed on remote cliffs

75. Gannet Colony

76. Gannet Colonies Gannets compete for space on the rocks Plenty of fish
The nests are distributed “pecking distance” apart
Plenty of fish
more young gannets are raised
Increase competition for nesting sites in future years

77. Competition VS Competition between members of different species
Several species might rely on the same food source or space
E.g. primroses flower early in the year to avoid competition for light. They also produce leaves, flowers and seeds before the tree leaves open and put them into shade

78. Intraspecific competition

79. Interspecific Competition

80. Factors affecting population size
Predation will limit the prey population.
Disease can spread quickly through large populations.

81. Predator-prey relationships
Animals that kill and eat other animals are called predators. The animals that they eat are called prey.
Predators are usually bigger and fewer in number than their prey.
List five things that make a good predator:
List five ways prey have adapted escape from predators:

82. Predator – Prey Relationship

83. The prey has plenty of food. It breeds and increases in number.
List what is happening in each of the stages 1 – 5 on the predator prey graph.
The prey has plenty of food. It breeds and increases in number.
The increase in prey means that there is more food for the predator. So the predator breeds and increases in number.
There are now lots of predators so more prey will be eaten. The number of prey goes down.

84. Predator prey graph
There are now less prey for the predator to feed on. Food will be scarce and many predators starve.
With fewer predators, more prey survive to breed. The prey numbers increase
The cycle continues…

85. Indicators of Pollution
WJEC Module 1
Adaptation and Competition

86. Learning outcomes

87. Indicators of Pollution
Living organisms can be used as indicators of pollution
The presence or absence of particular organisms can indicate the level of pollution in an area.
These are called Indicator Species

88. Pollution Indicators Species
Freshwater invertebrates can be used as indicators of freshwater pollution
Lichens can be used as indicators of air pollution due to their sensitivity to sulfur dioxide.

89. Freshwater pollution Indicator Species
Animals found in water with low levels of oxygen
Sludge worm
Rat-tailed maggot
Blood worm
Animals found in water with high levels of oxygen
Mayfly nymph
Stonefly nymph
shrimp

90. Water Oxygenation
What could cause the oxygen concentration in a river to decrease?
Yup, that’s right SEWAGE or organic pollution

91. Stages in freshwater pollution
Organic waste (sewage) provides food for bacteria, which allows them to grow and reproduce
Bacteria use up the oxygen in the water when they respire
There is less oxygen for other organisms such as fish and insects.
Animals such as fish, stonefly nymphs and shrimps decrease in number.

92. sewage Describe the trends shown in the graph below.

93. Freshwater Pollution – sewage
As the concentration of sewage pollution rises, the population of bacteria rises.
This is because the bacteria feed off the sewage which provides raw materials and energy for growth and reproduction.
At the same time the concentration of oxygen falls.
This is because the bacteria use up the oxygen in respiration as they break down the organic waste in the sewage.
Animals such as fish and stonefly nymphs decrease in number.

95. Quick Test – Freshwater Pollution
What effect does domestic sewage have on the number of bacteria in a river?
How do the bacteria numbers affect the level of dissolved oxygen in the water?
How does the reduction in oxygen level affect the numbers of fish and invertebrate numbers in the river?
What name is given to an organism whose presence or absence gives information about the level of pollution in a river?
Name two organisms that can live in water where the oxygen level is low.
Name two organisms that can only live in water that is unpolluted.

96. Learning Outcome
To explain how lichens can be used to indicate air pollution
To analyse data on air pollution and draw conclusions

97. Pollution Indicators
The presence or absence of particular organisms can indicate the level of pollution in an area.
These are called Indicator Species

98. Air Pollution Indicators
Lichens
Different types of lichen have different sensitivities to sulfur dioxide gas.
3 main types – crusty, leafy and shrubby
Indicator species present
Appearance of lichen
SO2 concentration
Crusty lichens only
High
Crusty and leafy
Medium
Shrubby
low

99. Pupil Activity Lichens as indicators of Air Pollution
Carrying out a pollution survey

100. Air Pollution Map
Look at the air pollution map, and explain the distribution of the different types of lichen.