CLASSIFICATION OF ORGANISMS

CLASSIFICATION:

Classification is the process of organizing objects or living things based on their

similarities or differences in characteristics. Classification allows us to better understand
the living world by helping us to:

▪ Identify living things.

▪ Understand the history of living things on Earth.
▪ Show what is similar and different among living things.
▪ Communicate precisely, accurately and more easily.

The features, or criteria, we use to group living things are very important to the
usefulness of a classification system. Biologists study the structures and functions of
organisms. They also investigate how organisms reproduce. These features are used in
classification. For example, botanists, scientists who study plants, use the structure of
flowers to group them—this feature is important to the reproduction and distribution of
many land plants.

Definitions:
• Botanist - a biologist specializing in the study of plants.

HISTORY OF CLASSIFICATION:

Long ago, Aristotle (384–322 BCE) was the first to classify living things. He divided them
into plants and animals and grouped animals based on where they lived—on land, in
water, or in the air. Later, in the 1700s, Carolus Linnaeus created a better system called
binomial nomenclature, which gave each organism a scientific name with two parts—
genus and species. He also introduced different groups like kingdom, class, order,
family, genus, and species. In the 1800s, Charles Darwin explained that all living things
change over time through evolution. This helped scientists group organisms based on
how closely they are related. In 1969, Robert Whittaker introduced the five-kingdom
system, which included Monera (bacteria), Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.

Definitions:
• Nomenclature - Nomenclature is a system for giving names to things within a
particular profession or field.
• Binomial Nomenclature - Binomial nomenclature is the biological system of
naming the organisms in which the name is composed of two terms, where, the
first term indicates the genus and the second term indicates the species of the
organism.

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 Taxonomic Hierarchy:

The term “Taxonomy” originates from the Greek word “taxis,” meaning arrangement or
division, and “nomos,” meaning method. Taxonomy is a branch of Biology that refers to
the process of classifying different living species.

“Taxonomic hierarchy is the method of organizing organisms into successive levels

within biological classification, either from the highest rank (kingdom) to the lowest rank
(species) or vice versa.”

Each level in this hierarchy is known as a taxonomic category or rank. In this

classification system, the hierarchy begins with the Kingdom as the highest rank, followed
by Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and finally, Species.

1. Phylum – A large group of organisms that share basic body structures.

• Example: The fox belongs to Phylum Chordata because it has a backbone, just like
all other vertebrates (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish).

2. Class – A smaller group within a phylum that shares more specific characteristics.
• Example: The fox is in Class Mammalia because it has fur, gives birth to live young,
and produces milk to feed them.

3. Order – A more specific category within a class that groups organisms based on shared
traits.

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 • Example: The fox is in Order Carnivora because it has sharp teeth and is primarily
a meat-eater, like dogs, wolves, and big cats.

4. Family – A narrower classification that includes organisms with even more similarities.
• Example: The fox belongs to Family Canidae, which includes all dog-like mammals
such as dogs, wolves, and jackals.

5. Genus – A group within a family that includes species with strong similarities.
• Example: The fox is in Genus Vulpes, which consists of true foxes known for their
bushy tails, pointed ears, and small size compared to wolves.

6. Species – The most specific classification, where members can breed and produce
offspring.
• Example: The Red Fox belongs to Species Vulpes vulpes, which makes it different
from other types of foxes like the Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus).

KINGDOM:

Kingdom is a high-level taxonomic rank used to group and classify organisms based on
shared characteristics.

The five-kingdom taxonomic categorization of the world’s biota, suggested by Robert

Whittaker in 1969, into Kingdom Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista, and Monera, has
become a common standard for categorising species.

Basis of grouping organisms into five kingdoms

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 KINGDOM MONERA:

Bacteria are categorized underneath the Kingdom Monera.

Main Features:

• Often unicellular.
• Cells have cell walls (not made of cellulose) and cytoplasm but no nucleus or
mitochondria.
• Bacteria occur everywhere and they are microscopic in nature.
• They are prokaryotic (cells lack a nucleus and lack membrane-bound organelles).
• Bacteria can be heterotrophic and autotrophic.

Bacterial Cell

Definitions:
• Unicellular - Unicellular means made up of only one cell.
• Cellulose - Cellulose is a substance that makes up the cell walls of plants and helps
give them structure and strength.
• Prokaryotic - Prokaryotic refers to a type of cell that does not have a nucleus or
other membrane-bound organelles, like bacteria.
• Heterotrophic - Heterotrophic refers to organisms that cannot make their own
food and instead get their nutrients by consuming other living things, like animals
and fungi.
• Autotrophic - Autotrophic refers to organisms that can make their own food,
usually through processes like photosynthesis, by using sunlight, carbon dioxide,
and water, such as plants and some bacteria.

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 KINGDOM PROTISTA:

Algae, amoeba, euglena, and slime moulds are examples of protists.

Algae Amoeba

Euglena Slime Moulds

Main features:

• Mostly, protists are unicellular.

• They are Eukaryotic (cells have a well-defined nucleus and well-defined membrane-
bound organelles).
• All have a nucleus; some may have cell walls and chloroplasts.
• Some of them photosynthesise and some feed on organic substances made by other
living things.
• Some of them have cilia or flagella for mobility.

Definitions:
• Eukaryotic - Eukaryotic refers to cells that have a nucleus and other membrane-
bound organelles, like those found in plants, animals, fungi, and protists.

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 • Chloroplast - Chloroplasts are small structures in plant cells that use sunlight to
make food through photosynthesis, giving plants their green color.
• Cilia - Cilia are tiny, hair-like structures on the surface of some cells that move
back and forth to help the cell move or push substances along.
• Flagella - Flagella are long, whip-like structures that help some cells move by
beating in a swimming motion, like in sperm cells or certain bacteria.

KINGDOM FUNGI:

The kingdom fungi include moulds, mushroom, yeast etc. They show a variety of
applications in domestic as well as commercial purposes.

Moulds Mushroom

Yeast

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Main features:

• Usually multicellular.
• cells have nuclei and cell walls not made from cellulose.
• They do not photosynthesize but feed by saprophytic (on dead or decaying
material) or parasitic (on live material) nutrition.
• Their figure comprises slender, long thread-like constructions.

Fungi Microscopic view

Definitions:
• Multicellular – Refers to organisms made up of more than one cell, such as
plants, animals, and fungi.
• Saprophytic – Refers to organisms, like fungi or certain bacteria, that obtain
nutrients by breaking down dead or decaying organic matter.
• Parasitic – Refers to organisms that live in or on another organism (the host) and
benefit at the host's expense, like some types of worms or bacteria.

KINGDOM PLANTAE:

Main features:

• Multicellular Organisms: Made up of many cells with a cell wall made of cellulose
and are eukaryotic.
• Autotrophic Nutrition: Perform photosynthesis to produce their own food using
sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide.
• Chlorophyll Presence: Contain chloroplasts with chlorophyll for photosynthesis.
• Non-Motile: Plants are fixed in one place and do not move.
• Storage Material: Store food as starch.

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 KINGDOM ANIMALIA:

Main features:

• Multicellular Organisms: Made up of many cells without a cell wall.

• Heterotrophic Nutrition: Depend on other organisms for food as they cannot
perform photosynthesis.
• Motile: Most animals can move from one place to another.
• Nervous System: Have a well-developed nervous system for coordination (except
in simpler animals).
• Examples:
▪ Invertebrates: Such as insects (bees, ants), molluscs (snails, octopuses),
and arachnids (spiders, scorpions).
▪ Vertebrates: Including mammals (humans, whales), birds (eagles,
penguins), reptiles (snakes, crocodiles), amphibians (frogs, salamanders),
and fish.

Definitions:
• Nervous System – The network of nerves and cells that transmit signals
throughout the body, controlling actions, thoughts, and feelings.
• Invertebrates – Animals that do not have a backbone or spine, like insects, worms,
and jellyfish.
• Vertebrates – Animals that have a backbone or spine, such as mammals, birds,
reptiles, amphibians, and fish.

⧫ QUESTIONS:

1. List the sequence of ranks in the taxonomic hierarchy, starting from the highest
rank.

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2. What are the distinguishing characteristics of Kingdom Protista, and provide two
examples.

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3. Explain the unique features of organisms in Kingdom Animalia and how they
differ from plants.

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4. Imagine you discover a microscopic organism with no nucleus, no membrane-

bound organelles, and a cell wall not made of cellulose. Into which kingdom would
you classify this organism, and why?

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 GROUPS WITHIN ANIMALIA KINGDOM:

The Animal Kingdom, scientifically termed Animalia, encompasses a vast array of

multicellular, eukaryotic organisms. These organisms are typically motile, meaning they
can move spontaneously and independently at some point in their life cycle.

Animalia Kingdom

Classification of Animal Kingdom

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 VERTEBRATES:

Vertebrates are animals that have a backbone or spine. This includes mammals (like
humans and dogs), birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Their backbone helps them move
and supports their body.

➢ Warm-Blooded Animals: Warm-blooded animals are animals that can keep their
body temperature steady, no matter the outside temperature. This means they stay
warm in the cold and cool in the heat. Examples include mammals (like humans,
dogs, and cats) and birds (like eagles and penguins).
➢ Cold-Blooded Animals: Cold-blooded animals are animals that cannot control
their body temperature. Their body temperature changes with the environment. If
it's hot, they become warm; if it's cold, they become cool. Examples include reptiles
(like snakes and lizards), amphibians (like frogs and salamanders), and fish.

1. Fish:

✓ Mostly, fishes live in water, apart from a few species like mudskippers that come
on land for short periods of time.
✓ Examples - Shark, Tuna, Salmon
✓ Habitat: Live in water.
✓ Body Covering: Scaly skin.
✓ Respiration: Breathe through gills.
✓ Limbs: Have fins for movement.
✓ Reproduction: Lay eggs without shells in water.

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✓ Temperature: Cold-blooded (body temperature changes with surroundings).

Tuna
Shark

Mudskippers

Salmon

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2. AMPHIBIANS:

✓ The larvae of amphibians are called tadpoles that mostly live in water. As they
become adults, their body transforms into a different shape. This is
metamorphosis.
✓ Examples - Frogs, toads, salamanders
✓ Habitat: Live both in water and on land.
✓ Body Covering: Smooth, moist skin (no scales).
✓ Respiration: Tadpoles have gills for gas exchange, but adults have lungs.
✓ Limbs: Typically have four limbs (two pairs).
✓ Reproduction: Lay eggs in water.
✓ Temperature: Cold-blooded.

Definitions:
• Amphibian metamorphosis – Amphibian metamorphosis is the process of
transformation that amphibians, like frogs and salamanders, go through as they
grow from larvae to adults. It involves major physical changes, such as developing
legs, losing gills, and growing lungs for breathing air. This process helps them
transition from living in water to living on land.
• Moist – Moist means slightly wet or damp.
• Gills – Gills are organs that help fish and some amphibians breathe underwater.
They take in oxygen from water and release carbon dioxide.

Amphibian Metamorphosis

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 Toad

Blue Poison Dart Frog

Frog eggs
Salamander

3. Reptiles:

✓ Reptiles do not need to go back to the water to breed because their eggs have a soft
but waterproof shell which stops them from drying out.
✓ Examples - Crocodiles, Lizards, Snakes, Turtles, Dinosaurs (extinct)
✓ Habitat: Mostly land-dwelling, some live in water.
✓ Body Covering: Dry, scaly skin to prevent water loss.
✓ Respiration: Breathe through lungs.
✓ Limbs: Most have four limbs; some (like snakes) lack limbs.
✓ Reproduction: Lay eggs with soft leathery shells.
✓ Temperature: Cold-blooded.

Crocodile Lizard

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 Snake
Turtle

Dinosaur Snake Eggs

Definitions:
• Scaly skin - Scaly skin is skin covered with small, hard, and overlapping plates
called scales. Reptiles like snakes and lizards have scaly skin to protect their bodies
and prevent water loss.

4. Birds:

✓ Only animals with feathers and beaks are birds.

✓ Examples - Kingfisher, Pigeons, Ostrich (cannot fly), Sparrows
✓ Habitat: Mostly land-dwelling, some live near water.
✓ Body Covering: Covered with feathers.
✓ Respiration: Breathe through lungs with air sacs.
✓ Limbs: Forelimbs modified as wings; two hind limbs for walking or perching.
✓ Reproduction: Lay eggs with hard shells.
✓ Temperature: Warm-blooded (constant body temperature).

Kingfisher Pigeon

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 Sparrow
Ostrich

Definitions:
• Forelimbs - Forelimbs are the front legs or arms of an animal, like a frog’s front
legs or a human’s arms.
• Hindlimbs - Hindlimbs are the back legs of an animal, like a frog’s powerful
jumping legs or a human’s legs.

5. Mammals:

✓ Mammals have a heart with four-chambers and give birth to young ones. Their ears
have a pinna (a flap on the outside of the body that directs sound into the ear), and
only mammals have mammary glands that produce milk to feed their young ones.
✓ Examples - Tiger, dogs, Humans.
✓ Habitat: Found on land, in water, and in the air (bats).
✓ Body Covering: Covered with hair or fur on their skin.
✓ Respiration: Breathe through lungs.
✓ Limbs: Typically have four limbs, adapted for various functions.
✓ Reproduction: Give birth to live young (most species) that develop in their uterus.
✓ Temperature: Warm-blooded.
✓ Unique Feature: Possess mammary glands to feed milk to their young.

Human Heart Tiger

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 Human Beings
Puppy

Definitions:
• Mammary glands - Mammary glands are special glands found in female
mammals that produce milk to feed their young.

INVERTEBRATES:

Invertebrates are animals that do not have a backbone. They can be classified based on
their body features, such as whether they have legs or not. Invertebrates that have jointed
legs belong to a group called arthropods.

ARTHROPODS:

Arthropods are animals that have jointed legs but no backbone. They have a hard,
waterproof outer shell called an exoskeleton, which protects their body. Unlike mammals,
this skeleton is on the outside.

Arthropods are divided into different groups, such as insects, crustaceans, arachnids, and
myriapods.

Exoskeleton

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Definitions:
• Exoskeleton - An exoskeleton in arthropods is a hard outer covering that acts like
a ‘suit of armor’ for creatures like insects, spiders, and crustaceans. It's made of a
tough material called chitin, which helps protect their bodies, provides structure,
and supports movement.

1. INSECTS:

✓ Body Structure: Divided into three parts: head, thorax, and abdomen.
✓ Legs: Have three pairs (6 legs) attached to the thorax.
✓ Antennae: Have one pair of antennae.
✓ Wings: Have two pairs of wings
✓ Respiration: Use trachea (tubes) for breathing.
✓ Examples: Butterfly, Ant, Grasshopper, Dragonfly, Mosquito.

Body Structure

Tracheal System

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 Ant

Butterfly

Grasshopper Dragonfly

Mosquito

2. CRUSTACEANS:

✓ Body Structure: Divided into two parts

✓ Legs: Typically have four or more pairs of jointed legs.
✓ Antennae: Have two pairs of antennae.
✓ Respiration: Breathe through gills.
✓ Habitat: Mostly aquatic (marine or freshwater).

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✓ Examples: Crab, Lobster, Shrimp, Prawn, Woodlice

Body Structure

Lobster
Crab

Shrimp Prawn

Woodlice

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3. ARACHNIDS:

✓ Body Structure: Divided into two parts.

✓ Legs: Have four pairs of jointed legs (8 legs).
✓ Antennae: no antennae.
✓ Respiration: Use book lungs or trachea for breathing.
✓ Special Features: Often have specialized structures like fangs or silk glands.
✓ Examples: Spider, Scorpion, Tick, Mite.

Body Structure

Spider Scorpion

Mite
Tick

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4. MYRIAPODS:

✓ Body Structure: Long, segmented body.

✓ Legs: Have many legs; each body segment typically has one or two pairs.
✓ Antennae: Have one pair of antennae.
✓ Respiration: Use trachea for breathing.
✓ Special Groups:
a) Centipedes: One pair of legs per segment
b) Millipedes: Two pairs of legs per segment
✓ Examples: Centipede, Millipede.

Body Structure

Millipede
Centipede

Definitions:
• Thorax - The thorax is the middle part of an animal's body, located between the
head and the abdomen. In insects, it is where the legs and wings are attached. In
mammals, it contains the chest area, including the heart and lungs.
• Abdomen - The abdomen is the lower part of an animal’s body, located behind the
chest (thorax). In insects, it contains important organs like the digestive and
reproductive systems. In humans and other mammals, the abdomen holds organs
like the stomach, intestines, and liver.

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⧫ QUESTIONS:

1. What are the defining features of birds, and how are they adapted for flight?

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2. Describe the main characteristics of mammals and mention two unique features
of this group.

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3. What are the key characteristics of arachnids, and how do they differ from
insects?

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4. Describe the key characteristics of amphibians and explain why they are
considered both aquatic and terrestrial.

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5. You find a small animal with a segmented body, one pair of legs per segment, and
a pair of antennae. Which arthropod group does it belong to, and why?

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