Biological Classification

16 July 2023 12:01

Herbs
Plants Shrubs
1st Classification: Aristotle Trees
Anaeima
Animals
Enaima

Plants Demerits:
It included totally different organisms together:
• Prokaryotes & Eukaryotes
2nd Classification: Linnaeus • Unicellular & Multicellular
• Photosynthetic & Non-Photosynthetic
Animals

Therefore, now, besides, gross morphology a need was also felt for including other characteristics like cell structure,
nature of wall, mode of nutrition, habitat, methods of reproduction, evolutionary relationships, etc

Five Kingdom Classification - Rh Whittaker

Monera Protista Fungi Plantae Animalia

Cell Type Prokaryotic Eukaryotic Eukaryotic Eukaryotic Eukaryotic
Cell Wall Non - cellulosic Present in some Present in chitin Present (Cellulose) Absent
(Polysaccharide
+ amino acid)
Body Cellular Cellular Multicellular; Loose Tissue; Organ Tissue; Organ; Organ
Organization Tissue System
Nuclear Absent Present Present Present Present
Membrane
Mode of Autotrophic (chemosynthetic; Autotrophic Heterotrophic Autotrophic Heterotrophic (Holozoic;
Nutrition photosynthetic) (Photosynthetic) (Saprophytic; (Photosynthetic) Saprophytic; etc.)
Heterotrophic (saprophytic; Heterotrophic Parasitic)
parasitic)

Max. Nutritional Diversity

→ The main criteria for classification used by him include cell structure, body organisation, mode of nutrition,
reproduction and phylogenetic relationships.
→ Carl Woese : Divided Kingdom Monera into two categories, leaving the remaining eukaryotic kingdoms in the
third domain and thereby a six kingdom classification.
→ Over time, an attempt has been made to evolve a classification system which reflects not only the morphological,
physiological and reproductive similarities, but is also phylogenetic.

1. KINGDOM MONERA
○ Bacteria are sole members, which are most abundant microbes on Earth.
○ Classified as:
a) Vibrio (comma)
b) Spirillum (spiral) Flagella
c) Cocci (spherical)
d) Bacillus (rod) spore
○ Bacillus is most abundant
○ Bacteria are simple in structure, but complex in behaviour
○ Show most extensive metabolic diversity
○ Majority of bacteria - heterotrophic

New Section 1 Page 1

 a. Archaebacteria
○ Have branched lipid cell wall responsible for their survival in extreme conditions.
Halophiles (Salt areas)
○ Live in most extreme habitats Thermoacidophiles (hot springs, pH = 2) • Present in the gut of several ruminant
Methanogens (marshy areas) animals such as cows and buffaloes
• Responsible for the production of methane
(biogas) from the dung

b. Eubacteria
○ Also known as True bacteria
○ Characterized by presence of rigid cell wall Eg: Nostoc, Anabaena
○ If motile have flagellum
○ Reproduce by fission or Spore formation or Primitive DNA transfer

 Example: Cyanobacteria (Blue-green algae)

 Have 'chlorophyll a' similar to higher plants
 Photosynthetic
 Can be unicellular, filamentous, freshwater, marine, terrestrial
 Surrounded by gelatinous sheath or mucilage Heterocyst
 Form blooms in polluted water
 Fix Atmospheric Nitrogen in specialized cells

 Chemosynthetic autotrophs
 Oxidize inorganic substrates to use released energy for ATP Production
 Great role in recycling nutrients - Iron, Sulphur, Phosphorus, Nitrogen

 Heterotrophic bacteria
 Most abundant
 Majority act as decomposers
 Significant impact on human affairs
 Pathogenic bacteria - Cholera, typhoid, tetanus, citrus canker

 Mycoplasma - Joker of plant kingdom

 Pleomorphic, not sensitive to penicillin
 Lack cell wall
 Can survive without O2
 Pathogenic to plant and animals

2. KINGDOM PROTISTA
○ Forms links b/w Fungi, Animalia, Plantae
○ Mostly aquatic
○ Reproduce by - Cell fusion or Zygote formation
 Crysophytes
 Includes Diatoms & Golden Algae(Desmids)
 Found in fresh water & marine environments
 Microscopic & float passively in water currents (plankton)
 Cell wall forms two thin overlapping shells, fitting like a soap box
 Have silica in their walls - indestructible Left behind large deposits
 Most are photosynthetic ∴ Diatomaceous Earth
Used in soil polishing, filtration of oils & syrups
 Dinoflagellates
 Mostly marine & photosynthetic
 Occur in diff. colours based on pigments - red, yellow, green, blue, brown
 Cell Wall: Dinoflagellates have a cell wall with stiff cellulose plates on the outer surface, providing structure and support to
the cell.
 Flagella: Most dinoflagellates possess two flagella - one flagellum lies longitudinally, while the other is positioned
transversely in a furrow between the wall plates. These flagella help in movement and navigation in the aquatic
environment.
 Red Tides: Some species of dinoflagellates, like Gonyaulax, are notorious for causing red tides. During rapid

New Section 1 Page 2

  Red Tides: Some species of dinoflagellates, like Gonyaulax, are notorious for causing red tides. During rapid
multiplication, these red dinoflagellates can turn the sea water red, leading to a phenomenon known as a red tide. The
toxins released by these large numbers of dinoflagellates can be harmful to other marine animals, including fishes, and
may even result in mass mortality events.

 Euglenoids
 Freshwater organisms, found in stagnant water Provides flexibility
 Lack cell wall and possess a protein rich layer - pellicle
 Flagella: 2 one short & one long
 Pigments similar to those of higher plants
 While euglenoids are capable of photosynthesis in the presence of sunlight, they exhibit a unique behaviour when deprived of
sunlight. In the absence of light, they switch to a heterotrophic mode of nutrition by preying on smaller organisms for
sustenance.

 Slime Moulds Spores

 Saprophytic Protists - move over dead & decaying twigs • Possess true walls
 Under suitable conditions form an aggregation called plasmodium • Resistant to extreme conditions
 Under unfavourable conditions Plasmodium • Survive for years
• Dispersed by air currents
 Protozoans
 Heterotrophs' & live as predators/parasite
 Primitive relatives of animals
□ Ameboid Protozoan:
 Fresh water, sea water, moist soil
 Capture prey by pseudopodia
 Marine forms have silica
 Eg: Entamoeba - parasite

□ Ciliated Protozoan:
 Aquatic, actively moving due to presence of thousands of cilia
 Have a cavity(gullet) that opens outside the cell surface
 Coordinated movement of cilia causes food to move to gullet
 Eg: Paramecium

□ Flagellated Protozoans:
 Free-living or parasitic
 Have Flagella
 Parasitic forms cause diseases like sleeping sickness (Trypanosoma)

□ Sporozoans:
 Diverse organisms having spore like stage once in their life
 Eg: Plasmodium - malaria parasite

3. KINGDOM FUNGI

New Section 1 Page 3

New Section 1 Page 4