The groups of living things Cambridge IGCSE Biology (9–1) revision
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In plain words
All living things are sorted into five big groups called kingdoms, and each kingdom is divided again. Being able to say which group something belongs to, and why, is mostly a matter of knowing a few giveaway features.
Three things to know
- The five kingdoms: animals, plants, fungi, prokaryotes (bacteria) and protoctists. Plants have cell walls of cellulose and make food by photosynthesis. Fungi have cell walls but can't photosynthesise. Bacteria have no nucleus.
- Vertebrates (animals with a backbone): fish (scales, gills), amphibians (moist skin), reptiles (dry scaly skin), birds (feathers), mammals (fur or hair, milk for their young).
- Arthropods have jointed legs and an exoskeleton: insects (6 legs, 3 body parts), arachnids (8 legs), crustaceans (many legs, 2 pairs of antennae), myriapods (many segments). A virus is not a cell: just genetic material in a protein coat.
Tips and tricks
- Count the legs: 6 is an insect, 8 is an arachnid. Spiders are not insects.
- Viruses are not in any kingdom. They can only reproduce inside the cells of a living host.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
The groups of living things: 5 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
Which kingdom do mushrooms belong to?
Fungi have cell walls but no chlorophyll, so they can't photosynthesise.
Which group of vertebrates has feathers?
Feathers are found only on birds.
An arthropod has eight legs and two body parts. Which group is it in?
Spiders and scorpions are arachnids.
What do bacterial cells not have?
Their DNA is loose in the cytoplasm.
What is a virus made of?
It has no cell structure at all.
Quiz
5 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
3 questions, 7 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
The groups of living things
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (9–1) 0970 · 7 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
Give two features of mammals that are not found in other vertebrates.[2]
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They have fur or hair, and they feed their young on milk (from mammary glands).
State three differences between a plant cell and a bacterial cell.[3]
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Any three: a plant cell has a nucleus, chloroplasts, mitochondria and a large vacuole, and its cell wall is made of cellulose; a bacterial cell has none of these, and its DNA is a loop free in the cytoplasm (with plasmids).
Describe the structure of a virus.[2]
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Genetic material (DNA or RNA) surrounded by a protein coat. It is not made of cells.
Answers: The groups of living things
- 1. They have fur or hair, and they feed their young on milk (from mammary glands).
- 2. Any three: a plant cell has a nucleus, chloroplasts, mitochondria and a large vacuole, and its cell wall is made of cellulose; a bacterial cell has none of these, and its DNA is a loop free in the cytoplasm (with plasmids).
- 3. Genetic material (DNA or RNA) surrounded by a protein coat. It is not made of cells.