Question

The chart below contains characteristics that can

be used to classify organisms A, B, and C.
Characteristics
Number of Cells
Type of Nutrition
Nuclear Membrane
Ribosomes
Organism A
single celled
autotrophic
absent
present
Organism B Organism C
multicellular single celled
autotrophic heterotrophic
present absent
present present
State one reason why organism A and organism C
might be placed into two different classification
groups, even though they are both single celled.

Answer 1

Image attached of question in table layout

Answer/Explanation

1. Organism A does not have a membrane-bound nucleus, whereas organism C does
2. Organism C is heterotrophic (relies on other organisms for a food source) whereas organism A is autotrophic (synthesises its own food)

These observations suggest that organism A is prokaryotic and organism C is eukaryotic.

Eukaryotic organisms have membrane-bound organelles such as a nucleus. This is where the DNA is housed. In contrast, prokaryotes do not have membrane-bound organelles. their DNA molecule is housed in a region of the cytoplasm called the nucleoid that is not separated from the rest of the cytoplasm by a membrane.

Eukaryotic organisms are also mostly heterotrophic, meaning they need to consume other living things to synthesise their food (exceptions include green plants which synthesise their food by photosynthesis). Some prokaryotes can use energy from light or chemicals to synthesise their own food source. This means they are autotrophic.