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New
Year 10
Edexcel
Foundation

Growth in multicellular organisms

I can describe the role of cell division in the growth of multicellular organisms.

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New
New
Year 10
Edexcel
Foundation

Growth in multicellular organisms

I can describe the role of cell division in the growth of multicellular organisms.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Growth is part of the life cycle of all living organisms.
  2. Multicellular organisms grow by making new cells.
  3. Multicellular organisms need to repair tissue through cell division.
  4. All new cells are made when existing cells copy their genetic material and then divide in two.

Common misconception

Multicellular organisms reproduce by cell division like unicellular organisms.

Multicellular organisms use cell division for reproduction. A non-example will be used to show reproduction is not part of reproduction in multicellular organisms.

Keywords

  • Growth - Multicellular organisms grow by increasing the number of cells they have; this involves cell division.

  • Unicellular - An organism that consists of only one cell.

  • Multicellular - An organism made up of many cells.

  • Cell division - The process by which cells replicate to produce two genetically identical cells.

Students may need reminding about fertilisation of gametes when discussing reproduction in multicellular organisms.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match each term to the correct defintion.
Correct Answer:unicellular,an organism made up of only one cell

an organism made up of only one cell

Correct Answer:multicellular,an organism made up of many cells

an organism made up of many cells

Correct Answer:cell division,the process used to replicate cells

the process used to replicate cells

Q2.
If in the same organism, order these structures from smallest to largest.
1 - cell
2 - tissue
3 - organ
4 - organ system
5 - organism
Q3.
Which sub-cellular structure contains the DNA in animal cells?
cytoplasm
Correct answer: nucleus
ribosomes
mitochondria
Q4.
Which of these organisms is multicellular?
yeast
amoeba
Correct answer: spider
bacterium
Q5.
Which word best describes an organism increasing in size as part of their life cycle?
ageing
magnification
Correct answer: growth
reproduction
Q6.
What is the smallest living organism that can exist on its own?
atom
nucleus
Correct answer: cell
organ

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is a multicellular organism?
an organism made up of only one cell
Correct answer: an organism made up of many cells
an organism that has many functions
Q2.
Which statements are true for the nucleus?
It is where proteins are made.
Correct answer: It contains the genetic material (DNA).
It controls what enters and exits the cell.
Correct answer: It controls the activities of the cell.
Q3.
Which two processes do animal and plants usually use cell division for?
reproduction
Correct answer: growth
Correct answer: repair
Q4.
Which of these statements are true for cell division in animals?
Correct answer: Genetic material is replicated.
Two cells are produced with half the DNA.
Correct answer: Two genetically identical cells are produced.
Four cells are produced from the original cell.
Q5.
What is the word used to describe organisms increasing in size by adding more cells?
Correct Answer: growth, growing, grow
Q6.
Which statement is false?
Bacteria are unicellular.
Correct answer: Bacteria use cell division for growth and repair.
Animal cells can contain mitochondria.
Animal cells usually contain a nucleus.