P5 Science

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Ling was answering a mutual friend’s question about primary 5 science in an email she also copied me on. Here’s a slightly edited segment of her reply:

Hi XXX,

Any cell with cell wall but no nucleus must be a bacterium (also known as a prokaryotic cell). Although bacteria has no nucleus (we usually say that it has no true nucleus), it has chromosome (genetic material containing DNA) in the cytoplasm. Now, some bacteria are photosynthetic, i.e. they possess chloroplasts, and hence can make their own food by photosynthesis.

FYI, there are about 5 types of cells (based on the 5 kingdoms of living things) your kid’s teachers could play around with when they set questions. They are:

1)       Plant cells

2)       Animal cells

3)       Fungal cells

4)       Protist cells

5)       Bacterial cells

…

Cells of protists are the most interesting due to more variation. Examples of protists are algae and the well-known amoeba. Some protists have cell wall while others don’t have. Some can photosynthesize (hence the presence of chloroplasts) while others cannot. Some protists are motile while others are not.

Except for bacteria which doesn’t have true nucleus, all other cells have a true nucleus.

Bacteria are prokaryotes while the rest are eukaryotes.

(etc.)

There were two things in my mind when I read Ling’s reply. The first was along these lines: “Wah piang…!! Is this what primary five kids are studying?”

The second I remarked to Ling:

“Wow dear; I literally saw stars when I read your reply. Now I know why I never took bio.”

To which she replied with a chuckle:

“So now you know your wife not very ‘toot’ wan ok? “:)

8 thoughts on “P5 Science”

  1. My reply was already simplified and based on a bit of outdated science which our local schools are still teaching. Living things are now classified into 6 kingdoms. A group of bacteria previously classified under bacteria kingdom is now recognised as biochemically different from bacteria. :)

  3. Though now that I think of it, I didn’t take bio not because of those cheem terms… I had no interest because the very idea of dissection freaked me out. 8)

  4. it is a total disappointment when NIE doesn’t allow a bio-his combi =( I MISS BIOLOGY!

  5. yeah, tell me about what they are learing in primary schools nowadays….so many occasions we had to rely on the internet to get answers pertaining to their science homework!

    what’s more, they are already learning about sex and its other works in p5….i’m not ready! *sob*

  6. “Google is God”, or so the mantra goes – but don’t trust what you find there too much though.:)

  7. ya, dissection also freaked me out too >.< frog is too gross… bunnies… TOO CUTE!! =(((

    i heard horror stories of the dissected frog regaining consciousness then jump around with intestines dangling =PPPPPP GROSS!!!

  8. Oh no, poor fella. I recall that we biology students who read zoology at NUS used a needle-sorta tool to kill the brain of a turtle (or was it a different reptile?) before dissecting it to conduct some experiment on its nerves. I think the turtle was already knocked out before we messed with its brain. Now that I looked back, it was a cruel thing we did in the name of science.

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