Classification I

Introduction
 Classification- refers to the grouping of living organisms according to
their structure.
 In classification, organisms that share a lot of similarities are placed
under one group referred to as a taxon (plural= taxa).
 Other than the similarities, grouping of the organisms also takes into
account the evolutionary relationships (phylogeny) of the organisms.
 It is believed that all organisms once had a common ancestor (theory of
evolution). During classification, organisms believed to have evolved
along the same line of evolution are placed in one taxon.
 The scientific study of classification is known as taxonomy. A
biologist studying taxonomy is a taxonomist.
 In classifying organisms, taxonomists to a great extent rely on the use of
external observable features of organisms.

 Calculating a magnification using a magnifying glass

 The magnification of the magnifying lens can be calculated using the
formula shown below.

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 External features of plants used in classification
 The rhizoids as in moss plant
 Fronds in ferns
 The type of root; tap root, adventitious, fibrous.
 Presence or absence of flowers
 Type of leaves; simple or compound; leaf venation- parallel or net work
veined.
 Presence and types of fruits and cones.

External features of animals used in classification

 Tentacles in hydra
 Body covering- feathers, scales, hair or fur
 Shells in snails
 Wings in birds
 Proglottids in tapeworms
 Mammary glands in mammals
 Locomotory structures e.g. limbs,wings.
 Body pigmentation

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 Importance of Classification
 Classification helps in identifying living organisms into their correct
groups for reference.
 Classification helps arrange the information on living organisms in an
orderly manner to avoid chaos and confusion that would arise if this
were to be done arbitrarily.
 Classification brings together living organisms with similar characteristics
together but separate those with different features.
 It helps us understand the evolutionary relationship between different
organisms.
 It serves as a base for the development of other biological sciences such
as biogeography etc.

Historical background of Classification

 In the past, scientists used to classify organisms based on personal
conveniences. They heavily relied on very few observable features as
there was no standard classification system.
 In particular, living organisms were simply classified as plants or animals.
 The plants were also classified as herbs, trees, shrubs.
 Animals were also grouped into herbivores, carnivores and
omnivores.
 Some biologists would also classify plants as:
 Edible or non-edible.
 Flowering or non-flowering.
 The modern classification systems take into account the evolutionary
relationships between living organisms. It has overcome the many
weaknesses of the artificial (traditional) classification systems.
 From the original parents, arose new groups of organisms that under-
went structural changes that enabled them to live in different habitats.
 The structural changes account for the great diversity of living organisms
observed today.
 Carolus Linnaeus, a Sweddish biologist is largely credited for his
significant contribution to the development of the modern classification
system.

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 Taxonomic Units of Classification
 Taxonomic units of classification refer to the groups or taxa into which
organisms are placed as a matter of convenience.
 Grouping of organisms in these groups is based on easily observable
characteristics that are common in that group.
 Living organisms which share a lot of characteristics are placed in the
same group (taxon).
 In a classification scheme, a hierarchy of groups is recognized and it
proceeds from the first largest and highest group, the kingdom, to the
smallest and lowest unit, the species.
 There are seven taxonomic units of classification.

Kingdom

Phylum(animals)/Division(plants)

Class

Order

Family

Genus

Species

 All living organisms are classified into five major kingdoms:

a) Kingdom Monera- This is comprises mainly the bacteria.
b) Kingdom Protoctista- This comprises of the microscopic
organisms as algae, amoeba, paramecium and euglena
c) Kingdom Fungi- Members of this kingdom comprises the
mushrooms, toadstools, moulds and yeast.

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 d) Kingdom Plantae- This kingdom comprises the moss plant, ferns,
maize plants, hibiscus, meru oak tree etc.
e) Kingdom Animalia – Members of this kingdom include the
tapeworms, hydra, fishes, human beings, lizards, earthworms etc.

N/B-In hierarchy of classification, a kingdom is further divided into

several phyla (plural of phylum) or divisions (in plants).
Within the phyla or divisions, organisms are further sorted out into
groups known as classes based on their similarities and mode of life. Each
class is further subdivided into small groups called orders based on structural
similarities.
Orders subdivide into families which subdivide into genera (plural for
genus).Genera are then subdivided into smaller units of classification called
the species.
Species is the smallest unit of classification whose members can freely
interbreed to give rise to fertile or viable offsprings.

Members of a particular species can, however, exhibit various differences e.g.

differences in skin colour or body forms. Within the species, organisms can
further be classified based on the differences in colour or forms. In humans,
this gives the races, in animals the term used is breed while in plants, variety is
preferred. In bacteria, the term strain is used to describe the variant forms.

Scientific Naming of Living Organisms

 Scientific naming involves assigning an organism two names in Latin
language. The naming system was developed by Carolus Linnaeus in the
18th century.

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  Organisms always have common names and scientific names.
 Common names are local names by which the organisms are known in
the vernacular languages.
 These names differ across cultures and cannot be used by scientists
to communicate across the world. This makes sharing scientific
knowledge on organisms very difficult.
 There was need for a common language and this led to development
of scientific language in Latin.
 Latin was the preferred language since;
 it was the first language of civilization that was widely spoken at
that time.
 Similarly, latin language is a dead language hence not subjected
to a lot of changes. The scientific names are, therefore, static.
 Scientific names -are the valid names by which organisms are known all
over the world.
 In scientific naming, an organism is assigned two names, i.e. genus
(generic) name and species (specific) name.
 This double naming system is known as binomial system.
 The rule of scientific double naming system is referred to as
binomial nomenclature.

Rules of Binomial Nomenclature

Binomial nomenclature requires that:
a) The first name (Genus name) should begin with a capital letter while
the second name (specific name) should be written in small letters e.g.
Maize- Zea mays
Lion- Panthera leo
Leopard- Panthera pardus

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 Domestic dog- Canis familiaris
Human being- Homo sapiens
b) In printed works, the scientific names should be printed in italics.
However, in handwritten manuscripts and typed works, the genus and
species names should be underlined separately.
c) The specific name is frequently written with the name of the scientist
who first adequately described and named the organism e.g. Balanus
balanoides Linneaus.
d) Scientists must give a latinised name for a newly described animal or
plant species where a Latin name is missing e,g.
Aloe kilifiensis- A type of aloe found in kilifi
.

Revision Questions on the topic

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 The End

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