CLASSIFICATION IN LIVING ORGANISMS

Syllabus Content:
Concept And Use Of Classification System (GK)
• Organisms can be classified into groups by features that they share.
• Classification systems aim to therefore classify groups of organisms in a systemic way, in order
to reflect their evolutionary relationships.
• Before the advance of technology and science, classification was traditionally based on
morphology and anatomy
• Now classification is done on basis of DNA similarities.
Features Of Organisms (GK)
All organisms are made of cells. Although the cellular structure may be different depending on the
type of organism, there are certain things that are universally shared across every single organism
which are cytoplasm, cell membrane, DNA, ribosomes, enzymes
Classification System: (GK)
• First person tried to classify living organisms= swedish naturalist Linnaeus in 1735. He divided
different kinds of living things sharing same appearance and behviour into groups called
species. The characteristics that Linnaeus used to divide all organisms into one of the five
groups included: How many cells made up their bodies, if their cells were very simple or had
complex parts, if they can move on their own, if they could make their own food, or had to eat
other creatures to survive.
Scientific Naming:
• follow a specific set of rules (GK)
• Scientists use a two-name system called a Binomial Naming System that describes the genus
and species of the organism.(GK)
• The first word is the genus and the second is the species.
• Capitalize the first letter of genus name. Use small case for specie name, italicized or
underlined
• A binomial name means that it's made up of two words (bi-nomial). (GK)
Example: Common name: Human Scientific name: Homo sapiens
Common name Lion Scientific name: Panthera leo
Taxonomic Hierarchy (GK)
Describe the species as a group of organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring
Species is a group of similar organisms that can breed with one another to produce fertile offspring.
For example, humans are one species and dogs are another species. Individuals of the same species can
reproduce to make more individuals of the same species. Two individuals belonging to different
species cannot normally reproduce together. If they do, their offspring is often infertile and unable to
reproduce. Sometimes individuals from two different species can reproduce. For example, ligers are
produced when a male lion and a female tiger reproduce. Tigons are produced when a female lion and
male tiger have cubs. Unlike many young from different species, ligers and tigons can have offspring

Organization Of Organisms Into 5 Kingdoms:

1. Animal (i.e. Lion) 2.Plant (i.e. Tree) 3.Fungus (i.e. Yeast) 4.Prokaryote (i.e. Bacteria) 5.
Protoctist (i.e. amoeba)
1. Kingdom Monera/Prokaryotes (E.G Bacteria)
a. Bacterial cell:
i. Characteristics:
• Often Unicellular, simple structure
• No organized nucleus
• No membrane bounded organelles
• Cell wall not made up of cellulose
• No mitochondria
2. Kingdom Protista
i. Characteristics:
• Eukaryote
• Well defined nucleus
• Multicellular or Unicellular
• Heterotrophic
 • May or may not have a cell wall and chloroplasts
• Some feed by photosynthesis and others feed on organic substances made by other organisms
• Free living (amoeba, paramecium, chlamydomonas) or parasite(plasmodium)
3. Kingdom Fungi (e.g:mushrooms, yeasts, molds and molds)
i. Characteristics:
• Eukaryotes
• They are mostly multicellular except fungus yeast which is unicellular.
• They grow by means of tiny thread like structures called hyphae.
• cell wall is not made up of cellulose but composed of chitin.
• They consist of well-developed cell having proper nuclei and other organelles.
• They have glycogen granules in cytoplasm as reserved food.
• Do not have chlorophyll. Either these are decomposers or parasitic in nature

4. Kingdom Plantae
i. Characteristics
• Multicellular, eukaryotic
• Cells have a nucleus, cell walls made of cellulose and often contain chloroplasts
• Feed by photosynthesis
• May have roots, stems and leaves
2 important groups: Non Flowering Plants (FERNS); Flowering Plants (ANGIOSPERMS)
ii. Non Flowering Plants(Ferns)-General Characteristics
• Small Land plants found on damp and shady places
• Have Roots, feathery leaves and underground stems called Rhizome
• Roots develop from rhizome called adventitious root
• Have vascular tissues (for transport & support)
• Spore-producing organ (sporangia) on the underside of leaves
 • Spore fall down on ground then develop to other plant
iii. Flowering Plants(Angiosperms)-General Characteristics
• These are the plants that are most familiar to us. They can be tiny, or very large – many trees
are flowering plants
• Have roots, stems and leaves
• Reproduce sexually by means of flowers and seeds
• Seeds are produced inside the ovary in the flower
• They are divided into monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants
• Monocots have only one cotyledon (an embryonic leaf in seed-bearing plants, one or more of
which are the first leaves to appear from a germinating seed) in their seed
• Dicots have two cotyledons in their seed
5. Kingdom Animalia: Two phylum: vertebrates and invertebrates
Phylum vertebrates have father 5 classes which are fish, reptiles,birds,amphibians and mammals
a. Vertebrates
• Animals with supporting rod (back bone) running along the length of the body.
i. Class Fish (Pisces)
o Have scaly skin.
o Have gills to breathe in water.
o Have spindle shaped or streamlined body.
o Have fins which help in swimming in water.
o Cold blooded.
o Lay eggs.
o Examples; Goldfish, guppy fish
ii. Class amphibia
• Have moist and slimy skin
• Found both in water and on land
• Lay eggs in water, larva has gills adult has lungs.
• Cold blooded
• Examples;
• Frogs, toads
iii. Class Reptiles
▪ For example: Lizard, turtle, tortoise, crocodile, alligator, snake

▪ Tend to use their bodies and spines as a major part of locomotion

▪ Have dry, scaly, hard Skin.

▪ Lay eggs with rubbery shells.

▪ Always lay eggs on land.

▪ They do not have hairs and their skin do not produce oil.

▪ Shed their skin which occurs throughout their lifetime.

iv. Class Aves (Bird)

❖ They are a group of endothermic vertebrates.

❖ Are covered with feathers.

❖ Have toothless beaked jaws.

❖ They lay hard-shelled eggs.

❖ Have a four chambered heart.

❖ Do not have a urinary bladder.

❖ Uric acid is excreted along with faeces as a semi-solid waste.

❖ Have a strong yet light weight skeleton.

❖ Wings evolved from forelimbs.

v. Class Mammals ((humans belong to this group)

▪ Have hair on body

• Give birth to young ones

• Young born feeds on mother milk
 • They are endothermic vertebrates (warm blooded)
• Have a diaphragm and four chambered heart
• Have different types of teeth

b. PHYLUM INVERTEBRATES
• Don’t have a backbone
• Usually have soft small bodies
• Mostrly body covered in exoskeleton made of special material substances
• Sub phylum arthropods: have jointed legs Segmented bodies and exoskeleton, no back bone
present
i. Class insects: Have 3 pairs of jointed legs, 2 pairs of wings ( one or both vestigial), breathe
through tracheae, body divided in 3 segments (head, thorax and abdomen)
ii. Class Crustaceans: e.g crabs, lobsters
▪ Have more than 4 pairs of jointed legs

▪ Breathe through gills

▪ Have exoskeleton made up of hard calcium salts

iii. Class Arachnids e.g spiders, scorpions
• Have 4 pairs of jointed legs
• Breathe through gills called book lungs
iv. Class Myriapods
• E.g: millipede, centipede
• Body divided into many segments
• Have 1-2 pairs of legs in each segment
Virus:
• A virus is not a cell, it is acellular(without a cell),hence considered as a Particle.
• A virus has an outer Coat made up of Proteins and an inner Core made up of Nucleic acid(DNA
or RNA).
• A virus can be circular, rod like or tadpole shape.
• A virus is 10 nanometer in size.