NOTES ON CLASSIFICATION OF ORGANISMS

Biological classification
This is the scientific grouping of living organisms according to their similarities and differences.
The branch of biology that deals with classification is called taxonomy. Biologists who study
biological classification are called taxonomists. Carlos Linnaeus is leader for systematic
classification.
Reasons for classification.
1. To understand the relationship that exists between living organisms.
2. Enables taxonomists to predict characteristics of living organisms.
3. For easy identification and study.
4. For organisation and orderly arrangement of living organism.

Taxonomy
The branch of biology where each organism is placed in a series of groups arranged in a
hierarchy is called taxonomy. The groups are called taxa (singular: taxon). A taxon is a group of
organisms that have similar features. The highest taxon an organism can belong to is a kingdom.
Each kingdom is made of related phyla (singular: phylum); each phylum is made of related
classes; each class is made of related orders; each order is made of related families; each family
comprises a number of related genera (singular: genus) and each genus is made of related
species. The species is defined as a group of organisms having similar features and capable of
interbreeding to produce fertile offspring. It is the lowest taxon an organism can belong to.
Taxonomic hierarchy
A category of classification is called taxon; plural taxa.
The arrangement of this into these taxa into the descending pattern is called taxonomic hierarchy.
Mnemonic that will help you remember this plan is written below.
Phylum

Class

Order

Family

Genus

Species
Ketty Phiri Come Out For God’s Sake or Kings play chess on fine gold stools

.
Taxon Human being Lion Maize Wolf

Kingdom Animalia Animalia Plantae Animalia

Phylum Chordata Chordata Angiospermophyta Chordata

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 Class Mammalia Mammalia Monocotyledoneae Mammalia

Order Primates Carnivora Commelinales Carnivora

Family Hominid Felideae Poaceas Canidae

Genus Homo Panthera Zea Canis

Species Homo sapiens Panthera leo Zea mays Canis lupus

Nomenclature

Nomenclature is the naming of organisms with scientific names. The system of naming used is
called the binomial system of nomenclature. In this system, the biological/scientific name of
each organism has two parts. The first part is the name of the genus (generic name) and always
begins with a capital letter while the second part is the name of the species (specific epithet). If
printed, the name is italicized (e.g. Homo sapiens) but if hand-written, the name is under-lined
(e.g. Homo sapiens). This is to indicate that the name is scientifically accepted world-wide. The
names are normally in Latin because it was the original scientific language and is universally
accepted. When written for the first time, the name must be written in full (e.g. Panthera leo) but
if mentioned afterwards, only the first letter of the generic name is written followed by the full
specific epithet (e.g. P. leo).

Biological kingdoms
There are five biological kingdoms;
1. Kingdom Plantae
2. Kingdom Monera
3. Kingdom Fungi
4. Kingdom Protoctista
5. Kingdom Animalia
Mnemonic:Paul Miyoba finds pep attractive
Key: Paul for Plantae, Miyoba for Monera, Finds for Fungi, Pep for Protoctista and Attractive
for Animalia.

Kingdom Animalia.
All living organisms belonging to this kingdom have the following characteristics;
a. They are multicellular (they have a lot of cells performing specific functions).
b. Cells do not cellulose cell walls.
c. They are eukaryotic (the nucleus is enclosed in a membrane).
d. Mostly move and locomote.
e. They are heterotrophs (they are not able to synthesise their own organic materials-food).
f. Mostly reproduce sexually.

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g. Mostly have visible sense organs.

Phyla of animalia kingdom.

Kingdom animalia has 9 phyla;
1. Arthropoda
2. Annelida
3. Nematoda
4. Mollusca
5. Chordata
6. Platyhelmithes (flat worms)
7. Echinodermata
8. Porifera
9. Cnidaria

(i) Arthropoda phylum.

All living organisms which belong to this phylum have the following characteristics;
a. They have segmented bodies.
b. They have jointed legs.
c. They have an exoskeleton made of chitin.
d. They have an open circulatory system( transporting fluids do not move in vessels)
e. They have bilateral symmetrical bodies.

Classes of arthropoda phylum.

1. Insecta
2. Crustacea
3. Chilopoda
4. Diplopoda
5. Arachnida

(ii) Insecta class

All living organisms which belong to this class have the following characteristics;
a. They have three body parts; the head, the thorax and the abdomen.
b. They have three pairs of legs.
c. Most insects have wings.
d. They breathe through the spiracles.
e. They have compounds eyes which have a lot of lenses and very sensitive to light.
f. The mouth parts consist of the mandibles, maxillae and labium which are
specialized in feeding.
g. They have a pair of antennae.

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Crustacea class
All living organisms in this class have the following characteristics;
a. They have a chitinous carapace( hard outer shell)
b. They have two body parts; the cephalothorax and the abdomen.
c. They have compound eyes.
d. They have two pairs of antennae.
e. They four pairs of legs.
f. Mostly they are aquatic, therefore they use gills for breathing.

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Class of Chilopoda
These are centipedes.
All living organisms in this class have the following characteristics;
a. They are terrestrial.
b. They have trunks which are divided into 10 – 20 segments.
c. They have one pair of legs on each segment.
d. They have simple eyes.
e. They have one pair of antennae on their heads.
f. They have poisonous claws on the head.
g. They are carnivorous.

Class of Diplopoda
These are millipedes.
All living organisms in this class have the following characteristics;
a. They have cylindrical bodies.
b. Their trunks have a lot of segments. Not less than 20.
c. Each segment has two pairs of legs.
d. They have one pair of antennae on their head.
e. They have simple eyes.
f. They breathe through the spiracles.

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Class of Arachnida
Examples of these includes; spiders, ticks and scorpions.
All living organisms have the following characteristics.
a. They have two body parts; the cephalothorax and the abdomen.
b. They have four pairs of walking legs.
c. They have pedipalps used for sensory and defence purposes they do not have
antennae.
d. They are carnivorous.
e. They have eight simple eyes.
f. They are terrestrial.

(ii) Chordata Phylum

All living organisms in this phylum have the following characteristics;
a. They have a vertebral column (notochord).
b. They have a nerve chord ( spinal cord)
c. They have an endoskeleton.
d. They have a closed circulatory system.
e. Mostly have tails.
Classes of Chordata phylum
1. Amphibia
2. Reptilia

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3. Mammalia
4. Ave
5. Chondrichthyes
6. Osteichthyes

Amphibia class
Living organisms in this class have the following characteristics;
a. Have two pairs of limbs (back and front legs).
b. They have soft, smooth and moist skin.
c. They breed in water and fertilization is external.
d. They undergo metamorphosis (structural changes).
e. They breathe through the skin, the lungs and the gills.
f. They are homodont. ( teeth of the same shape)

Class of Reptilia
Living organisms in this class have the following general characteristics;
a. Mostly have two pairs of limbs, except in a few like snakes which do not
have.
b. They have scales on their bodies.
c. They lay eggs and fertilization is internal.
d. Gaseous exchange takes place through the lungs.
e. They are homodont.

Class of mammalia
All living organisms in this class have the following characteristics;
a. The give birth.
b. They have hairy bodies.
c. They have two pairs of limbs.
d. They are heterodont. (They have different teeth performing different
function).
e. They have mammary glands.
f. They are viviparous. (They give birth to young ones at an advanced stage)
g. They have a complicated brain.
h. They have external ears with soft flap called the pinna.

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Class of Ave.
These are birds. All living organisms which belong to this phylum have the following
characteristics;
a. They have feathers.
b. They have beaks with no teeth.
c. They lay eggs.
d. They have scales in their legs.
e. Mostly have claws on their toes.

Class of Chondrichthyes
Living organisms in this class have the following characteristics;
(a) They have a cartilaginous skeleton.
(b) They undergo external fertilization and they have larva stage.
(c) They have scales.
(d) They have fleshy fins and gills.
(e) They are aquatic.
Examples includes; shark, minnow, stickleback.

Class Osteichthyes
Living organisms in this class have the following characteristics;
(a) They have a bony endoskeleton.

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(b) They fins are supported by rays of bones.
(c) They gills and slits are covered with the operculum.
(d) They have the larval stage and they undergo external fertilization.
(e) Some use lungs.
Examples; tiger fish, bream, Kapenta,Buka fish, barbell fish.

(iii) Phylum of Annelida.

These are segmented worms.

Living organisms in this phylum have the following characteristics;

a. They have cylindrical and segmented bodies.
b. Segments have got legs like structures called chaetae which aid locomotion.
c. They have a Hydroskeleton.
d. Mostly are terrestrial (found on land in the soils).
(iv) Phylum of Nematoda.

These are round worms.

Living organisms in this phylum have the following characteristics;

a. They have elongated, cylindrical and unsegmented bodies.
b. They have bilateral symmetrical bodies.
c. They have no chaetae.
d. No obvious head.
e. Mostly are parasites which live in the gut such as a Guinea worm.

(v) Phylum of Mollusca.

All living organisms in this phylum have the following general characteristics;
a. Mostly have soft bodies.
b. Their soft bodies are covered with a hard calcareous shell.
c. Some are terrestrial and some are aquatic.

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(vi) Echinodermata.
Living organisms in this phylum have the following characteristics;
(a) Radial symmetrical bodies.
(b) They have water vascular system.
(c) They produce asexually as well as sexually.
(d) They have calcareous exoskeleton.
Examples include; star fish, Brittle star, sea urchin

Kingdom Plantae.
All living organisms in this kingdom have got the following characteristics;
a. They are multicellular.
b. They are eukaryotic.
c. They only move but they do not locomote.
d. They are autotrophic.
e. They produce sexually and asexually.
f. They do not have visible sense organs.
g. They have cellulose cell walls.
h. They have chloroplasts.

Phyla of kingdom Plantae.

1. Angiospermophyta/Angiospermophyta/Angiospermatophyta.
2. Coniferophyta.
3. Filicinophyta.
4. Bryophyta.
5. Lycopodophyta.
6. Cycadophyta.
(i) Angiospermophyta phylum.
All living organisms in this phylum have the following characteristics;
a. They bear flowers.
b. Mostly produce seeds.
c. Young seeds (ovules) are enclosed in an ovary which later develops into a fruit.
d. They have highly developed vascular bundles.

Classes of Angiospermophyta.
1. Monocotyledoneae.
2. Dicotyledoneae.

Class of Monocotyledoneae.
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All living organisms in this class have got the following characteristics;
a. They have simple, long and narrow leaves.
b. Leaves have parallel venation. ( veins run parallel to each other)

c. Flower parts are usually in threes or in multiples of three.

d. They have a fibrous root system. (All the roots develop from the base of

the stem).

e. Seeds have one cotyledon (seed leaf) with a fused testa.

f. Vascular cambium absent therefore there is no secondary growth.
g. Vascular bundles are scattered.
h. Cortex and pith are not distinct.

Class of Dicotyledoneae
All plants in this class have got the following characteristics;

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a. They have broad and flat leaves with a complex network of veins.

b. They have a taproot system.

c. Flowers are in fives or in multiples of five.

d. They have two cotyledons.

e. Vascular cambium present, therefore, there is secondary growth.
f. Vascular bundles are arranged systematically in a cylindrical pattern.
g. Cortex and pith are distinct.
(ii) Phylum of Coniferophyta.
These are conifers. Plants in this phylum have the following characteristics;
a. They do not have flowers or fruits.
b. They bear cones.

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c. They have needle-shaped like leaves.
d. Keep leaves throughout the year.
e. Inhabitants of temperate region.
(iii) Phylum of Filicinophyta
These are ferns. Plants in this phylum have the following characteristics;
a. They have roots and stems.
b. They have large leaves-like structures with an intricate shape called fronds.
c. Reproduce through sporangia found underside fronds in clusters called sori;
solus singular.
Kingdom Fungi
The following are the characteristics of living organisms in the kingdom of
fungi;
a. They are eukaryotic.
b. They are heterotrophic saprophytes.
c. Some are Unicellular and some are Multicellular.
d. Mostly are terrestrial.
e. They reproduce asexually and sexually.
f. They have chitinous cell walls. ( cell walls are made of chitin)
g. They do not have chlorophyll.
Phyla of kingdom Fungi.
1. Zygomycota
2. Ascomycota.
3. Basidiomycota.
(i) Phylum of Zygomycota
These include rhizopus and mucor. The following are the features for fungi in this
phylum;
a. They have tubular hyphae.
b. They reproduce sexually by gametangia and asexually by sporangia.

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(ii) Phylum of Ascomycota.
Penicllium, a blue-green fungi which grows on moist leather, and Yeast are members of
this phylum. They mostly reproduce sexually.
(iii) Phylum of Basidiomycota.
Members of this phylum include; mushrooms, bracket fungus and puff balls.

Kingdom Monera
The following are the characteristics for living organisms in the kingdom of Monera. These are
largely bacteria; Singular, bacterium.
a. They are prokaryotic (nucleus not bound by a membrane).
b. They are heterotrophic and autotrophic
c. They are aquatic, terrestrial, they are also found on bodies of other organisms and in the
air.
d. Mostly reproduce asexually
e. Mostly have a thin ‘whip-like’ structure called flagellum which aids locomotion.
Some bacteria cause diseases in human beings such as; vibrio cholera which causes cholera,
Diplococcus which causes Pneumonia, Salmonella typhi which causes typhoid.

Kingdom Protoctista

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All living organisms in this kingdom have the following characteristics;
a. They are eukaryotic.
b. Some have chlorophyll such as Algae.
c. Some are heterotrophic, autotrophic and some are both.
d. They are mostly unicellular (single- celled) but some are multicellular.
e. Mostly are aquatic.
f. Mostly reproduce asexually.
g. Some have cellulose cell walls some do not have.

Protists with plant, fungi and animal characteristics.

(a) Protists with plant characteristics.
i. They are autotrophic.
ii. They contain cell walls.
iii. Mostly do not move.
iv. They have chloroplasts.
Examples include; Algae and Euglena.

(b) Protists with animal like characteristics.

i. There are heterotrophic.
ii. All unicellular.
iii. Cellulose cell wall present.
iv. Mostly locomote and move.
They have cilia-like projections, some have flagella (whip-like structures) and
some have pseudopodia (false foot) which aid locomotion and movement.
Examples include; amoeba and plasmodium.

(c) Protists with fungi like characteristics.

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i. Heterotrophic decomposers.
ii. Contain cell walls.
iii. They are multicellular.
iv. They reproduce by forming spores.

Viruses
Viruses do not fit in this classification of living organisms because they are not cells but
particles. They differ from the five biological kingdoms in that they do not have a nucleus,
cytoplasm or cell membrane which is the characteristics of protoplasm.
Viruses however, can reproduce, but only inside a living cell and so it can be regarded as
living.
Viruses are much smaller than bacteria and bacteria are smaller the protozoan (Amoeba).

Keys of identification
Taxonomists use identification keys to identify unknown organisms. One of the keys which
are used to identify unknown organisms is the Dichotomous key.
Dichotomous key
This is the key made up of pairs of contrasting statements that distinguishes an organism
using a particular character at stage.
Dichotomous key is very important because it helps to identify and name unknown
organisms.
Dichotomization system breaks down characteristics of a set of organisms into two groups
over and over again until only one organism remains in the group.
Dichotomous means two branches. The dichotomous key was given this name because at
each stage of identification there are two contrasting characteristics.

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If the organism is not known, after each statement a number is given, this number indicates
the next distinguishing characteristic to be examined.
Steps when constructing the dichotomous key.
1. Use the most general characteristics and divide the organisms into two categories.
These two categories will become 1(a) and 1 (b).
1(a) ……………………………………………………………………………..Go to 2
(b) …………………………………………………………………………..…Go to 3
2. The second step (2a and 2b) needs to consist of a pair contrasting characteristics that
will allow for the identification of one or two organisms.
3. Every statement after the second should allow for the identification of one or two
organisms.
4. The last pair of statements should identify two organisms.
5. There should be one less stage than the total number of organisms to be identified
using the key. If the they are organisms to be identified there should be 5 stages of
paired statements to identify them all.

Example.
Suppose you have four insects, ladybug, housefly, dragonfly, and a grasshopper. After
studying
the insects, you might use wing covering, body shape, and where the wings point towards as the
characteristics you wish to base your key upon. To begin the key, you could start separating the
four
insects based on wind covering: “wings covered by exoskeleton” versus “wings not covered by
exoskeleton”. At the end of each statement you must direct the reader to the next appropriate
question.

Dragonfly Grasshopper Ladybug Housefly

1.a. wings covered by an exoskeleton…………..go to step 2
b. wings not covered by an exoskeleton………go to step 3.
Next, you will use a pair of statements to separate each of the groups isolated by the above
statements. If you isolate a subject you will give the name of the organism. Number either lead to
the
name of the organism or another level of class identification in the key.
2.a. Body has a round shape……………………ladybug
b. Body has an elongated shape………………grasshopper
[Link] point out from the side of the body…..dragonfly
b. wings point to the posterior of the body……housefly

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Notice there was 3 steps used to identify 4 organisms. There should be one fewer step than the
number of organisms identified in any dichotomous key

FINITO!!
@ MIYOBA N.
SIAVONGA SECONDARY SCHOOL- 2017

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