KNOWLEDGE AREA: Diversity, Change and Continuity
Topic 11: Biosphere and Ecosystem
Classification Systems
Access information Apply knowledge in new contexts
Select key ideas Use knowledge in a new way
Recall information Analyse information/data
Describe knowledge of NS Critically evaluate scientific
Build a conceptual framework information
Organise or reorganise knowledge Recognise relationships between
Write summaries existing knowledge and new ideas
Develop flow charts and mind maps Identify assumptions
Recognise patterns and trends Categorise information
Classification refers to the grouping and sorting of
things according to similarities and differences.
Life forms are put into groups as a result of
classification.
This makes it easier for the scientist to study these life
forms.
Taxonomy refers to the science of naming and
classifying a wide range of living things.
History of classification of life forms
Aristotle's and Carl Linnaeus gave rise to
the modern classification system.
Aristotle (384-322 BCE) classified living
organisms into two groups: plants and
animals.
He further classified plants into three
groups: herbs, shrubs or trees.
Animals were classified into two groups:
those with red blood and those without.
He also classified animals according to
the modes of locomotion: flying,
walking or swimming.
He classified about 1000 plants and
animals.
History of classification of life
forms : Carl Linnaeus
He also classified living things into two groups: plants
and animals.
There were a large number of other scientist that classified
living organisms.
Up until the middle of the 19th century the physical
appearance of the organisms was used a criteria to
classifying them.
The anatomy of different organisms were studied and
organisms were placed into groups depending on
similarities and differences.
Charles Darwin published his book in 1859. It was called
“On the Origin of Species”. In this book he put forward
his theory of evolution.
His theory was accepted in the second half of the 19th
century. From this point on scientist began to stress
evolutionary relationships in their classification systems.
Comparative anatomy was no longer the only criteria
used in classification of living organisms.
Evidence from paleontology and embryology was now
also used.
Evidence from genetics and physiology became
important for classification in the 20th century.
The use of evidence from molecular biology and
genetics was also used in the middle of the 20th century
and the beginning of this century.
The three classification systems that are more
common:
• Two kingdom system
• Five kingdom system
• Three domain system
All organism may be grouped as plants or animals.
Therefore two kingdoms are present: Plantae and
Animalia.
This is the classification system that Linnaeus
developed.
The following characteristics are used to classify
organisms as plant or animals:
❖ Plants are able to manufacture their own food by
photosynthesis, while animals are unable to . Why?
❖ Plant cells are surrounded by an outer cellulose cell
wall, while animal cells do not have cell walls. What
do they have instead?
❖ Plants are sessile or sedentary creatures, meaning
that they do not move, while animals are motile.
Are able to make own
food
Kingdom
Plantae
Have a cell wall
Sedentary
All living organisms
Cant make own food
Kingdom
Animalia No cell wall
Motile
In 1645 Aton van Leeuwenhoek observed bacteria using
a very simple microscope.
As more and more complex microscopes were developed
more microscopic organisms were discovered and some
of them could not fit into the two kingdom classification
system.
Some scientist tried to make them fit. Bacteria and fungi
were described as plants because bacteria had a cell wall
and fungi could not move.
He developed the binomial system of naming
organisms.
In this system each organism is given two names: a
generic name and a specific name.
He developed a nested system or hierarchical system
to show similarities between organisms.
According to the nested system:
Similar species are placed in the same genera
Similar genera are placed in the same family
Similar families are placed in the same order
Similar orders are placed in the same class
Similar classes are placed in the same phylum
Similar phyla are placed in the same kingdom.
HUMANS CHIPANZEES
Kingdom Animalia Animalia
Phylum Chordata Chordata
Class Mammalia Mammalia
Order Primates Primates
Family Hominidae Pongidae
genus Homo Pan
species sapiens troglodytes
The organelles in eukaryotes are all bound by
membranes.
All organism with nuclear material not enclosed by
membranes are called prokaryotes.
All the organelles found in prokaryotes do not have
membranes.
The autotrophic organisms are those that are able to
manufacture their own food by photosynthesis.
The heterotrophic organisms are those organisms that
are unable to manufacture their own food.
Developed by Robert H. Whittaker in 1969.
All living organisms were placed into 5 kingdoms
based on certain characteristics.
Important information to know:
A true nucleus is a nucleus that is surrounded by a
nuclear membrane. Organisms that possess true
nuclei are called eukaryotes.
The organisms that feed on dead and decaying matter are
called saprotrophes.
The organisms that live of dead and decaying matter are
called saprophytes.
Decomposers are those organisms that feed on dead material
or the wastes of living organisms. As they feed they release
important nutrients for recycling.
Organisms that are made up of only one cell only are called
unicellular.
Multicellular are those organisms that are made up of many
cells.
The organisms were separated in the following
way:
Into prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
All the prokaryotes were placed into one
kingdom: Kingdom Monera.
Kingdom Monera is made up mainly of bacteria
and the blue green algae.
Multicellular eukaryotes were placed into three
kingdoms.
These three kingdoms are as follows:
1. Kingdom Plantae: is made up of autotrophic organisms.
2. Kingdom Animalia: is made up of heterotrophic organisms
(organisms that ingest food and digest it inside their own
bodies)
3. Kingdom Fungi: these are also heterotrophic organisms,
but they obtain food by secreting enzymes into the food
and then absorbing the digested food. Many of the
organisms
found in this kingdom are decomposers.
Prokaryote Kingdom
No true nuclei Monera
Unicellular Kingdom
All living Protista
organisms
Eukaryotes Kingdom
true nuclei Plantae
Autotrophic
Kingdom
Multicellular Food is digested and Fungi
then taken it
Heterotrophic Kingdom
Food is taken in Animalia
then digested
However there were many eukaryotic organisms that
did not fit into any of the three kingdoms.
These organisms into the Kingdom Protista.
Most of the organisms in this kingdom are
unicellular.
There are certain characteristics or criteria that are
used to develop the five kingdom classification
system (see next slide).
As more information becomes available, more
debates occur about the relationship amongst
the organisms.
Therefore classification systems are evaluated
and changed.
Scientists have recently put forward the three
domain system of classification
According to the three domain system:
▪ All eukaryotes are placed in the Domain Eukarya
▪ The prokaryotes have been divided into two domains
▪ Domain Achaea and Domain Eubacteria
▪ The Domain Eubacteria consists of the true bacteria.
▪ The Domain Archaea are made of prokaryotes that
are different from true bacteria in both their genetic
make up and their metabolism.
Provide the biological terms for the following:
1. Sorting and grouping things according to similarities
and differences
2. Organisms that do not have a definite nucleus or
other membrane enclosed organelles.
3. Heterotrophic organisms that feed on dead organic
matter
4. The domain in which all eukaryotes are placed in
the three domain system
1. Classification
2. Prokaryotes
3. Saprotrophes
4. Eukarya
Answer the following question:
1. Name the 7 different categories or taxa developed by
Linnaeus.
1. Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genius and
species.
Made up of the bacteria and the blue-green algae.
Bacteria are unicellular and microscopic.
Some bacteria are colonial, meaning that while they
occur in groups each bacteria functions on its own.
Bacteria are prokaryotes.
Some bacteria are autotrophic therefore they are able to
manufacture their own food by photosynthesis or
chemosynthesis.
Chemosynthesis means that they are able to
manufacture food using energy released from chemical
processes.
Most bacteria are heterotrophic.
Some of the heterotrophic bacteria are parasitic or
saprotrophic.
Some parasitic bacteria maybe pathogenic.
Some heterotrophic bacteria live on or in other living
organism and have close relationships with them.
This type of relationship is called mutualism.
This kingdom includes the slime moulds, protozoan
and algae.
Most are unicellular but some are multicellular.
Therefore they may be microscopic or
macroscopic.
Some of the unicellular protists can be colonial.
They are all eukaryotes.
Protists are not identical in appearance.
They also differ in the way in which they obtain their
food.
Therefore they are divided into 3 groups based on
nutrition and appearance.
These 3 groups are: algae, protozoan and slime
moulds.
The algae are plant-like and autotrophic.
Can you suggest why they are described as being plant-
like and how are they able to make their own food?
The protozoans are animal-like and they obtain their
food from other plants or animals or dead organic
matter.
Why are they described as animal-like and why are they
unable to make their own food?
The slime moulds are like fungi.
Why?
Mushrooms, yeast and mould found on bread and
jam etc. are found in this kingdom.
Some have plants-like features and some are
different from plants.
They are heterotrophic.
Some are parasitic while others are saprotrophic.
Fungi maybe unicellular and multicellular.
They all produce spores.
Some produce spores in sporangia.
Some produce spores in club shaped structures.
These structures are usually found within the cap
–like fruiting bodies : mushrooms.
Others produce the spores in sac like structures
like Penicillium
Some plants do not have vascular tissue.
These plants are called thallus plants
because they do not have true roots stems
and leaves.
They have root-like structures called
rhizoids, stem-like structures and leaf-like
structures.
These organisms occupy a variety of habitats.
They are multicellular.
They do not have cell walls around their cells.
They do not have chlorophyll.
Therefore they are heterotrophic.
There are huge differences in appearances.
They can be sub divided into vertebrates and
invertebrates. Do you know the differences between
vertebrates and invertebrates.
This wide range of species and the number of organisms
making up each species within communities is referred
to as biodiversity.
Indigenous: are species that occur naturally in a certain area.
If species are brought into an area they are called alien or
exotic species.
Sometimes species are indigenous to a particular area but
they
are found no where else in the world, this is called endemic.
Endemism describes the number and range of species
endemic to a particular area.
Internationally recognized places of high diversity and
rich endemism are known as biodiversity hot spots.
Classification refers to the grouping and sorting of
things according to similarities and differences.
Taxonomy refers to the science of naming and
classifying a wide range of living things.
Organisms that possess true nuclei are called
eukaryotes.
All those organism with nuclear material that were not
enclosed by membranes are called prokaryotes.
The autotrophic organisms are those that are able to
manufacture their own food by photosynthesis.
The heterotrophic organisms are those organisms that
are unable to manufacture their own food.
The organisms that feed on dead and decaying matter are
called saprotrophes.
The organisms that live of dead and decaying matter are
called saprophytes.
Decomposers are those organisms that feed on dead
material or the wastes of living organisms.
Organisms that are made up of 1 cell only are called
unicellular.
Multicellular are those organisms that are made up of
many cells.
Colonial organisms are unicellular organisms that live
in a group but each organism functions on its own.
Vascular plants are plants that have vascular tissue.
Thallus plants that do not have vascular tissue.