This process happens in every cell in all living things because without energy, organisms wouldn't be alive. Remember MRS GREN - the mnemonic for life processes
Photosynthesis equation
The importance of plants is built upon two main foundations: they are the producer at the start of every food chain and they produce oxygen.
uses for plants
All life on earth depends on the energy from the Sun to start a food chain with a producer which makes its own food using photosynthesis. Other organisms need to consume plants to gain energy but at each stage there is a loss of energy so that only 10% of energy passes to the next stage. We show this using food chains and pyramids of numbers or of biomass. The numbers of organisms at each stage can be estimated using sampling techniques because it is often not possible to count each organism individually. Imagine trying to count how many woodlice are living on a particular log!
Linnaeus was a Swedish scientist who decided to re-order the system for organisms. The previous system used Latin, the international language of educated people across the world but tended to be a description of the features of the living thing so names were long and difficult to remember. Also it was difficult to compare species as more and more plants and animals were discovered by pioneers and travellers from Europe to the New World.
You have to know the scientific names for the organs and their position in the body. Can you find the stomach, large intestine and liver? You also need to know the function of each organ. Find out where enzymes are added and why.
The circulatory system is the transport system which uses blood to carry oxygen and glucose to all cells, pumped around by the heart, supplied from the lungs. This system also deliver waste products like carbon dioxide to the lungs so they can be excreted. Red blood cells carry oxygen.
Our skeleton gives our bodies support, protects key organs like our brain or heart and allows us to move because of our joints. Our bones also make red blood cells
This picture shows onion cells under a microscope. These are plant cells so also have a cell wall, vacuole and chloroplast
Senses
We will study our senses and compare them to those of other animals and also to plants. This helps us to understand the evolutionary advantages which certain senses bring to a particular species.