IGCSE BIOLOGY – TOPIC 1
THE NATURE AND VARIETY OF LIVING ORGANISMS
a) CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING ORGANISMS
• MOVEMENT – all living organisms require movement towards
food/water and away from danger
• RESPIRATION – the energy from food eaten aids respiration (which is a
chemical reaction)
• SENSITIVITY – the ability to detect changes in surrounding and to
respond to them accordingly
• GROWTH/DEVELOPMENT – an increase in size and dry mass, an
increase in complexity
• REPRODUCTION – the process to make more of the same kind of
organism
• EXCRETION – the removal of toxic materials and waste products
• NUTRITION – taking in of materials for growth, development and
energy
• CONTROL – the ability to control their internal conditions (homeostasis
– osmoregulation/thermoregulation)
You can use the pneumonic
‘MRS GRENC’ to remember all 8
characteristics of living
organisms
3
THE NATURE AND VARIETY OF LIVING ORGANISMS
a) CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING ORGANISMS
• MOVEMENT – all living organisms require movement towards
food/water and away from danger
• RESPIRATION – the energy from food eaten aids respiration (which is a
chemical reaction)
• SENSITIVITY – the ability to detect changes in surrounding and to
respond to them accordingly
• GROWTH/DEVELOPMENT – an increase in size and dry mass, an
increase in complexity
• REPRODUCTION – the process to make more of the same kind of
organism
• EXCRETION – the removal of toxic materials and waste products
• NUTRITION – taking in of materials for growth, development and
energy
• CONTROL – the ability to control their internal conditions (homeostasis
– osmoregulation/thermoregulation)
You can use the pneumonic
‘MRS GRENC’ to remember all 8
characteristics of living
organisms
3
