Biological Classification

History of Taxonomy

• Aristotle classified (Scientific) organisms for the first time.

• Two kingdom system includes – Plantae & Animalia. (Linnaeus)
• Demerits of Two Kingdom:-
• No difference in Eukaryotes & Prokaryotes, Autotrophic &
Heterotrophic,Unicellular & Multicellular
• Plant and animal kingdoms have been a constant under all
different systems
R.H. Whittaker (1969) Five Kingdom Classification

Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae and

Animalia

Cell structure, Body organisation,

Mode of nutrition, Reproduction and
Phylogenetic relationships
 Three-domain system (Six kingdom classification)

• Monera into two domains, remaining eukaryotic third domain

• Note:-Kingdom Protista has brought together Chlamydomonas, Chlorella

with Paramoecium and Amoeba

• Classification system which reflects not only the morphological,

physiological and reproductive similarities, but is also phylogenetic, i.e., is
based on evolutionary relationships
KINGDOM MONERA
• Bacteria are the sole members of the Kingdom Monera
• Bacteria are grouped under four categories based on their shape

• Bacterial structure is very simple, they are very complex in behaviour

• Bacteria as a group show the most extensive metabolic diversity
• Photosynthetic autotrophic , chemosynthetic autotrophic
• Vast majority of bacteria are heterotrophs
Archaebacteria
• Bacteria are special (most harsh habitats)

• Extreme salty areas (halophiles), hot springs (thermoacidophiles) and

marshy areas (methanogens)

• Archaebacteria differ from other bacteria in having a different cell wall

structure and this feature is responsible for their survival in extreme
conditions.
• Methanogens are present in the gut of several ruminant animals such as
cows and buffaloes and they are responsible for the production of methane
(biogas) from the dung of these animals.
Eubacteria

‘true bacteria’

rigid cell wall, and if motile, a flagellum

cyanobacteria (also referred to as blue-green algae)

photosynthetic autotrophs

Chemosynthetic autotrophic

unicellular, colonial or filamentous

freshwater/marine or terrestrial algae

 fix atmospheric Pathogens
nitrogen in (human beings,
specialised cells crops, farm
called animals and pets.
heterocysts, e.g., Cholera, typhoid,
Nostoc and tetanus, citrus sort of sexual
Anabaena canker) reproduction

helpful in making reproduce mainly

curd from milk, by fission,
production of unfavourable
antibiotics, fixing conditions, they
nitrogen in produce spores
legume
Mycoplasma

completely lack a cell wall

smallest living cells known

can survive without oxygen

Many mycoplasma are pathogenic in animals and

plants
KINGDOM PROTISTA

single-celled
eukaryotes

reproduce boundaries of this

asexually and kingdom are not
sexually well defined

link with the

membrane-bound others dealing
organelles with plants,
animals and fungi
Chrysophytes Dinoflagellates Euglenoids Slime Moulds Protozoans
Chrysophytes
diatoms and golden algae (desmids)

fresh water as well as in marine environments

microscopic and float passively in water currents

Photosynthetic

cell walls form two thin overlapping shells, which fit together as in a soap box

walls are embedded with silica and thus the walls are indestructible

‘diatomaceous earth’
Dinoflagellates

mostly marine and photosynthetic.

appear yellow, green, brown, blue or red depending on the main pigments present in their cells.

cell wall has stiff cellulose plates on the outer surface

two flagella; one lies longitudinally and the other transversely in a furrow between the wall plates

red dinoflagellates (Example: Gonyaulax) undergo such rapid multiplication that they make the sea appear
red (red tides)

Toxins kill other marine animals such as fishes

Euglenoids

fresh water organisms

protein rich layer called pellicle which makes their body flexible

two flagella, a short and a long one

photosynthetic in the presence of sunlight, when deprived of sunlight they behave like heterotrophs

pigments of euglenoids are identical to those present in higher plants

Euglena
Slime Moulds

Saprophytic

suitable conditions, they form an aggregation called plasmodium

unfavourable conditions, the plasmodium differentiates and forms fruiting bodies

spores possess true walls (extremely resistant and survive for many years,even under
adverse conditions

air currents.
Protozoans
- Mode of nutrition : Heterotroph (predator or parasite).
- Classification
Classified into groups Locomotory Features Examples
organelles
Amoeboid protozoans Pseudopodia - These are found in fresh water or Amoeba (free living),
sea water or moist soil. Entamoeba (parasitic)
- Marine forms may have silica
shells.
Flagellated protozoans Flagella - Free living (aquatic) or parasitic Trypanosoma (Disease –
African sleeping sickness )
Ciliated protozoans Cilia - Aquatic. Paramoecium
- Numerous cilia are present over the
body.
- Food is drawn by the steering
action of cilia present in gullet of
cell.
Sporozoans Absent - These possess spore like infectious Plasmodium (Malarial
stage. parasite)
KINGDOM FUNGI

Heterotrophic (saprophytes, parasites, symbionts (lichens, mycorrhiza)

great diversity in morphology and habitat

prefer to grow in warm and humid

Filamentous

long, slender thread-like structures called hyphae. The network of hyphae is known as mycelium

continuous tubes filled with multinucleated cytoplasm – these are called coenocytic hyphae

cell walls of fungi are composed of chitin and polysaccharides.

• vegetative means – fragmentation, fission and budding.
• Asexual reproduction is by spores:- conidia or
sporangiospores or zoospores
• sexual reproduction is by oospores, ascospores and
basidiospores
• fruiting bodies
• Sexual cycle involves the following three steps:
• (i) Fusion of protoplasms between two motile or non-motile
gametes called plasmogamy.
• (ii) Fusion of two nuclei called karyogamy.
• (iii) Meiosis in zygote resulting in haploid spores
 Classification (Based on mycelium, mode of formation and fruiting bodies)
Features Phycomycetes Ascomycetes Basidiomycetes Deuteromycetes
Common name - Sac fungi Mushrooms / puffballs / Fungi imperfecti
bracket fungi
Mycelium Aseptate and coenocytic Branched and septate Branched and septate Branched and septate
Asexual reproduction Zoospores / aplanospores Conidia Usually absent Conidia
(Endogenously produced (Exogenously produced ) (Exogenously produced )
in sporangium )
Sexual reproduction Oospores Ascospores Basidiospores -
(endogenously produced ) (Exogenously produced)
Dikaryotic stage (n + n) in Absent Present Present Absent
sexual cycle
Other features Aquatic / decaying logs / Saprophytic / In soil / decaying logs / Only asexual or vegetative
obligate parasites on decomposers / parasites on plants as rusts stages are known. Sexual
plants coprophilous (on dung) / and smuts. Commonly stage is absent.
parasitic reproduce by Saprophytic / parasitic.
fragmentation. Sex organs
are absent

Examples Rhizopus (bread mould) , Neurospora, Claviceps, Agaricus (mushroom), Collectotrichum,

Albugo (parasitic fungi on Aspergillus, Yeast Puccinia (rust fungus), alternaria, Trichoderma.
mustard), Mucor. (Saccharomyces), ustilago (smut fungus).
Penicillium. Edible
members – Morels and Truffles
KINGDOM PLANTAE

eukaryotic chlorophyll-containing

insectivorous plants or parasites. Bladderwort and Venus fly trap are examples of insectivorous plants
and Cuscuta is a parasite.

cell wall mainly made of cellulose

algae, bryophytes, pteridophytes, gymnosperms and angiosperms

diploid sporophytic and the haploid gametophytic

alternation of generation
KINGDOM ANIMALIA

lack cell walls

store food reserves as glycogen or fat

holozoic – by ingestion of food

elaborate sensory and neuromotor mechanism

Viruses
non-cellular organisms, inert crystalline structure

inert outside their specific host cell. Viruses are obligate parasites.

genetic material (Infectious), that could be either RNA or DNA

plants have single stranded RNA and viruses that infect animals have either single or double stranded RNA or double
stranded DNA

Bacterial viruses or bacteriophages (viruses that infect the bacteria) are usually double stranded DNA viruses

protein coat called capsid made of small subunits called capsomeres, protects the nucleic acid

capsomeres are arranged in helical or polyhedral geometric forms

Viral diseases:- like mumps, small pox, herpes and influenza.

AIDS in humans is also caused by a virus.

In plants, the symptoms can be mosaic formation, leaf rolling and

curling, yellowing and vein clearing, dwarfing and stunted growth
Historical Account
Viroids

In 1971(T.O. Diener) discovered a new infectious agent that was smaller than
viruses

caused potato spindle tuber disease

It was found to be a free RNA it lacked the protein coat

The RNA of the viroid was of low molecular weight

Prions

causes infectious neurological diseases

abnormally folded protein

The agent was similar in size to viruses.

The most notable diseases caused by prions are bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) commonly
called mad cow disease in cattle and its analogous variant Cr–Jacob disease (CJD) in humans
Lichen