WELCOME
TO
BIOLOGY
CLASS
CHARACTERISTI
CS AND
CLASSIFICATION
OF LIVING
ORGANISMS
LEARNING
AIMS
You will gain a foundational
understanding of organism
classification, learn the hierarchical
levels of taxonomy, explore diversity
within major groups, and apply
classification techniques, including
dichotomous keys.
LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
You will learn to define taxonomy and its
hierarchical ranks, and understand the
major kingdoms and phyla within the
domains of life.
You will practice using dichotomous keys to
classify and identify various organisms,
applying their knowledge to real-world
examples and case studies.
KEYWOR
Nutrition
DS
Respiration
Movement
Excretion
Growth
Reproductio Genus
n Species
Sensitivity Binomial
Classificatio system
n Dichotomous
Does anyone knows who
she is?
Hello I am MRS
GREN. And I will
help you to
remember the 7
life processes
Describe the characteristics of living
organisms
(a) movement as an action by an organism or part of
an organism causing a change of position or place
(b) respiration as the chemical reactions in cells that
break down nutrient molecules and release energy for
metabolism
(c) sensitivity as the ability to detect and respond to
changes in the internal or external environment
(d) growth as a permanent increase in size and dry
mass
(e) reproduction as the processes that make more of
the same kind of organism
(f) excretion as the removal of the waste products of
metabolism and substances in excess of requirements
(g) nutrition as the taking in of materials for energy,
SPECIES
species Is a group of
organisms that can
reproduce to produce
fertile offspring
GENUS
a taxonomic group
covering more than one
species.
BINOMIAL SYSTEM
The binomial system of naming organisms,
also known as binomial nomenclature, was
developed by Carl Linnaeus in the 18th
century. It assigns each species a unique two-
part scientific name, comprising the genus
name (capitalized) followed by the species
epithet (not capitalized). Together, these
names form a Latinized scientific name that is
universally recognized and used in biological
classification.
BINOMIAL SYSTEM
Organisms can be classified into different
groups based on their characteristics and
evolutionary relationships. The classification
system used today is called taxonomy, and it
categorizes organisms into hierarchical groups
based on shared characteristics. Here are the
main levels of classification:
Domain Kingdom Phylum
Class
Order Family Genus
BINOMIAL SYSTEM
Here's an example:
• Scientific Name: Panthera leo
In this example:
• Genus: Panthera (capitalized)
• Species Epithet: leo (not
capitalized)
So, Panthera leo refers to the
species commonly known as the
lion. This naming system ensures
clarity and precision in identifying
and classifying organisms,
DICHOTOMOUS
KEY
A dichotomous key is a tool used in biology to
identify organisms based on a series of choices
that lead the user to the correct identification.
Here’s an example of a simple dichotomous key
to identify common invertebrates:
DICHOTOMOUS
KEY
1.a. Body has segments - go to step 2
b. Body does not have segments - go to step
3
2. a. Body has jointed legs - go to step 4
b. Body does not have jointed legs -
Earthworm
3. a. Body has a hard shell - Snail
b. Body does not have a hard shell - Slug
4. a. Six legs - Insect (e.g., Ant)
b. More than six legs - go to step 5
5. a. Eight legs - Arachnid (e.g., Spider)
b. More than eight legs - go to step 6
VERTEBRA
TES
INVERTEB
Classification of Plants
Ferns: Flowering plants:
Do not produce They are plants with roots,
stems and leaves
flowers/seeds
Reproduce sexually
They are plants with
through flowers and seeds
roots, stems and Seeds are produced inside
feathery leaves the ovary in the flower
Reproduce by spores
Monocotyledons Dicotyledons
One cotyledon/One-seed Two cotyledons/Two-seed
leaf leaf
Parallel veins Branching veins
Long Narrow Leaf Broad leaves
The Number of Petals is The Number of Petals is a
a Multiple of 3 Multiple of 4 or 5
Scattered Vascular
Ringed Vascular Bundles
Bundles