Classifications

Classifying Organisms
Why Do Scientists Classify?
Classification is the process of grouping

things based on their similarities.
Biologists use classification to organize
living things into groups so that the
organisms are easier to study.
The scientific study of how living things are

classified is called taxonomy.
Is it living or
not?
MRS GREN
MRS GREN
MRS GREN
MRS GREN
MRS GREN
MRS GREN
MRS GREN
Levels of Classification of living things
Species
Genus
Organisms are
Family
grouped by
their shared Order
characteristics. Class
Phylum
Kingdom
Invented by Linnaeus, a
Swedish plant scientist (since
modified)
Kingdoms
• Any grouping of organisms into kingdoms is
based on several factors:
– Presence of a nucleus
– Unicellular or multi-cellular
– How organisms get their food.
• Five different kingdoms of organisms are

generally recognized by scientists today
– Protists
– Monerans
– Fungi
– Plants
– Animals
The five kingdomsof living things
Why do you think they have been grouped this way?
Monera
Monera are single-celled organisms that don't have a nucleus (Prokaryote
cells). Bacteria make up the entire kingdom. There are more forms of bacteria
than any other organism on Earth. Some bacteria are beneficial to us, such
as the ones found in yogurt. Others can cause us to get sick. Some
monerans absorb nutrition from the environment around them (heterotrophs)
and others photosynthesize to make their own food (autotrophs). Some
monerans can move around, while others stay in one place. Monerans are
asexual meaning they split in two to reproduce with identical offspring.
Protist
Protists are mostly single-celled organisms that have a nucleus
(Eukaryote). They usually live in water. Some protists move around, while
others stay in one place. Protists either absorb and ingest nutrition from
their environment (heterotrophs) or photosynthesize to make their own
food (autotrophs).
Protists can be asexual (split in two to reproduce with identical offspring)
or sexual (fertilisation happens to produce offspring combining genes of
the parents).
Examples of protists include some algae, paramecium, and amoeba.
Fungi
Fungi cells have a nucleus (Eukaryote) and all except yeast are multi-cellular.
They are usually motionless organisms. They reproduce sexually (fertilisation
happens to produce offspring combining genes of the parents) and are spread
by producing millions of microscopic spores. They cannot produce their own
food so feed on dead plants or animals and help to recycle their nutrients. Some
fungi are edible but some are very POISONOUS! Fungi live in all kinds of
places including your intestines and your feet! Most people have 80 types of
fungus on the heel of their foot alone. Some are beneficial to people (penicillin)
and others can make you sick (black mould). They include mushrooms, molds,
and yeasts.
Fruiting
body
Hyphae
Mycelium Intestinal fungi Athletes’ foot
Plants
Plants cells contain a nucleus (Eukaryote) and are multi-cellular. They contain
chlorophyll, a green pigment necessary for photosynthesis, a process in which
plants convert energy from sunlight into food. Their cell walls are made sturdy
by a material called cellulose, and they are fixed in one place. Plants reproduce
sexually (fertilisation happens to produce offspring combining genes of the
parents).Plants are divided into two groups: flower- and fruit-producing plants
and those that don't produce flowers or fruits. They include garden flowers,
agricultural crops, grasses, shrubs, ferns, mosses, and conifers.
Animals
Animals are the most complex organisms on Earth. Animals are multi-
celled organisms, eat food for survival, and have nervous systems.
Animas reproduce sexually (fertilisation happens to produce offspring
combining genes of the parents).
They are divided into vertebrates and invertebrates and include mammals,
amphibians, reptiles, birds and fish.
Understanding Venn Diagrams
What statements can be generated from this?
What statements can be generated from this?
What do these mean? ϑ

Your task
Now complete the Venn diagrams using the information
provided in the slides about each of the kingdoms. You can
also add ideas of your own. Below is some vocabulary you
might find useful.
Prokaryotic Eukaryotic
Unicellular Multicellular
Asexual Sexual
Doesn’t move Moves
Autotroph Heterotroph
We know the kingdom. Now what?
The next group

to further classify
living things is
the Phylum.
In the animal
kingdom, the two
phylum are
invertebrates
and
invertebrates.
Fun fact
98% of all No
Have a
animals are backbone
back b o n e
invertebrates! k b o n e
Your task
Create a two
column table in
your book titled
‘Vertebrates and
Invertebrates.
Write down the
names of these
animals under the
appropriate heading.
How did you
go?
The next step is

to group animals
by class.
Can you name

two animals for
each class?
Every class
needs a little
order!
The class
‘Mammals’ has
26 orders in all.
Here are five

examples.
Families come
next.
The order
‘Primates’ is
organised into
13 families.
We are part of Family – Hominidae (great apes)

the family called
Hominidae
family
Animals in the
same genus are
very closely
related.
Genus – Homo
Our genus is
called ‘Homo’
and includes all
great apes that
showed
evidence of tool
use, language
and culture
leading up to our
own species.
We made it! The

species is each
type of animal.
Our species is Species - Sapiens

‘Sapiens’ and we
are the only
surviving
species of the
homo genus.
Binomial Nomenclature
• The Swedish scientist, Linnaeus, also devised a
simplified system of naming organisms based on their
classification: the first name shows the genus and the
second the species to which the organism belongs, as in
Panthera leo (the lion). This naming system is called
binomial nomenclature.
• Therefore, our official title is Homo Sapien.

How can I remember all
that!!!
A good way to remember lists is to make up a sentence using
the first letters in a list. In this case we want to remember
Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species:
K, P, C, O, F, G, S
Here are some sentences:

Kids Prefer Cheese Over Fried Green Spinach.
Koalas Prefer Chocolate Or Fruit, Generally
Speaking King Philip Came Over For Good
Spaghetti
Keeping Precious Creatures Organized For Grumpy
Scientists
Or how
about
this...

Classifications

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Classifying Organisms

Why Do Scientists Classify?

Classification is the process of grouping

The scientific study of how living things are

• Five different kingdoms of organisms are

What do these mean? ϑ

The next group

The next step is

Can you name

Here are five

We are part of Family – Hominidae (great apes)

We made it! The

Our species is Species - Sapiens

• Therefore, our official title is Homo Sapien.

Here are some sentences:

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