All things that are living (alive) carry out a common set of processes including movement, growth and reproduction.

An organism is something that is living, or was once living but is now dead.

Movement is when a living organism moves itself (or part of itself) from one place to another.

A life cycle is made up of the stages a living organism goes through in its life.

The common processes of all living organisms

Science

Observing cells with a light microscope

Preparing and observing a microscope slide

Animal cell structures and their functions

Plant cell structures and their functions

Multicellular and unicellular organisms

Specialised cells are adapted for their functions

Pupils will learn about bones and muscles as examples of tissues made of cells.

In Y2 of primary science, pupils learned about some processes that happen in all living things (and do not happen in things that are dead or have never been alive).

This unit explores cell structures, their functions, and differences between plant and animal cells. It includes adaptations of unicellular organisms and the organisation of multicellular organisms. Skills in using safe techniques, recording data, and evaluating methods in lab work are developed.

Cells

A cell is the smallest living building block of a living organism.

A lens is a piece of curved glass which focuses light to alter the size of the image.

A light microscope is a piece of equipment that uses lenses to focus light and enlarge the object.

Adjusting the focus of a lens makes an image clearer.

Increasing the magnification of an object makes it look bigger.

A tissue is a group of similar cells with the same job working together.

To observe a specimen using a light microscope, we have to put a thin layer of it on a glass microscope slide.

A coloured liquid put onto a specimen so that the cells and their structures can be more easily seen with a light microscope.

Observations from a light microscope can be recorded by making a labelled scientific line drawing.

The cell membrane surrounds the cell and controls what substances enter and leave the cell.

The cytoplasm is the jelly-like substance inside a cell where the chemical reactions of the cell take place.

The nucleus contains DNA, which stores information that controls the activities of the cell.

Mitochondria use food and oxygen as fuel to provide energy for the cell in a process called cellular respiration.

Scientists use models as simpler representations of complex things and ideas.

The cell wall of a plant cell is made of fibres that strengthen the cell but allow substances to pass through.

Chloroplasts are structures found within cells in the green parts of a plant. They trap light to enable the plant to make its own food.

The vacuole of a plant cell contains watery sap which, when full, keeps the cell firm.

A unicellular organism is a living thing that is just one cell.

Multicellular organisms are made of lots of different types of cells.

A tissue is a group of similar cells in the same place with the same job.

An organ is made up of a group of different tissues that work together to carry out a specific job.

An adaptation is a feature that helps an organism to function and survive.

Differences in the shape, size, and structures of cells are adaptations.

A specialised cell has adaptations that allow it to carry out a specific function.

The function of a cell is its job or its role within an organism.

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