Syllabus Edition

First teaching 2023

First exams 2025

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Adaptations for Movement (HL) (HL IB Biology)

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Cara Head

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Cara Head

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Adaptations for Movement

  • Movement is a unifying feature of all living organisms
  • The way in living organisms move varies hugely with some organisms being more motile and others being more sessile

Motile Organisms

  • Motile organisms are those that are capable of moving from place to place (you will be familiar with many organisms that have this trait)
  • Note that all motile organisms can also exhibit movement shown by sessile organisms, this means that internal parts of their bodies can move in response to stimuli e.g. peristalsis in the digestive system
  • Many living organisms are motile, such as the majority of members of the animal kingdom, many bacteria, particularly those which are predatory

Sessile Organism

  • Sessile organisms cannot move from place to place but are able to move parts of their body in response to environmental stimuli
  • This type of movement might include orientation of plant stems towards the sun or movement of cytoplasm within a unicellular organism
  • Some animals are sessile including:
    • Sponges, corals and anemones
    • Most fungi species
    • All plant species

Examiner Tip

You are required to know one example of a motile species and one example of a sessile species for your examination. 

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Cara Head

Author: Cara Head

Expertise: Biology

Cara graduated from the University of Exeter in 2005 with a degree in Biological Sciences. She has fifteen years of experience teaching the Sciences at KS3 to KS5, and Psychology at A-Level. Cara has taught in a range of secondary schools across the South West of England before joining the team at SME. Cara is passionate about Biology and creating resources that bring the subject alive and deepen students' understanding