A student finds an unknown organism in a garden. The organism has a segmented body, three pairs of jointed legs, one pair of antennae and two pairs of wings. State the class to which this organism belongs and describe three other features of organisms in this class that could be used to confirm this identification.

Cambridge International IGCSE Biology (0610) — 1.2 Concept and use of a classification system · Describe · 4 marks · View as Markdown

Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).

Model answer (4 marks)

The organism belongs to the class Insecta (insects). Three confirming features are:
1. The body is divided into three distinct regions – head, thorax and abdomen.
2. It has compound eyes.
3. It possesses an exoskeleton (a hard external cuticle).

Examiner tips

  • Use the exact term ‘Insecta’ and mention the three body regions; examiners reward clear, concise statements.
  • Show the three features in separate bullet points or numbered sentences to demonstrate full understanding.

Common mistakes

  • Writing ‘insects’ instead of the class name ‘Insecta’. Failing to list all three required features or omitting the exoskeleton.”

Mark scheme (4 marks)

  1. Correctly identifies the class as Insecta / insects
  2. Body is divided into three regions: head, thorax and abdomen
  3. Has compound eyes
  4. Has an exoskeleton / hard external skeleton (cuticle)

Key terms in this question

class

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