Why There is a Need for Classifying
• There are well over 2 million different types of organisms known.
Why There is a Need for Classifying
• Biologists place the organisms into groups based on their characteristics.
• By classifying, biologists can organize living things into groups.
Taxonomy
• The branch of Biology that deals with the naming and placing of all organisms into groups.
Early Classification Schemes
• The earliest attempt at classifying organisms placed all organisms into one of two groups.
Classification by Aristotle and Theophrastus
• Aristotle classified animals according to where in the environment they lived.
• Theophratus classified plants according to their stem structure
A ris to tle 's C lass ifica tion
A ir D w e lle rs L an d D w e lle rs W ater D w e lle rs
A n im a ls
Th eop h ras tu s 's C lass ifica tion
H erb s(so ft s tem )
S h ru b s(S evera l w od d y s tem s)
Trees(s in g le w ood y s tem )
P lan ts
Today’s Classification Schemes
• The basis for modern Taxonomy centers around evolutionary relationships
Today’s Classification Schemes
• Today Taxonomists use a variety of information to classify or group organisms.
The 5 Kingdom System Of Classification
• All Living things on earth can be placed in one of 5 groups known as Kingdoms
5 Kingdom Classification
5 K in g d om s
A n im a ls P lan ts F u n g i M on era P ro tis ta
L ivin g Th in g s
Kingdom Monera
• Unicellular
• Prokaryotic
• may be photosynthetic, chemosynthetic, or feed by absorption.
Kingdom Protista
• Most are unicellular
• Eukaryotic
• may be photosynthetic, may feed by absorption, or may ingest food.
Kingdom Fungi
• Most multicellular although some are unicellular.
• Eukaryotic cell structure
• Absorptive Heterotrophs
• Non Motile
Kingdom Animalia
• Multicellular
• Eukaryotic
• Ingestive Heterotrophs
• Motile
• Nervous system present
• Within any kingdom there are many phylum
• Within any phylum there are several classes
• Within any Class there are several Orders
• Within any order there are several Families
• Within any Family there are several Genus
• Within a Genus there may be many species
Humans
• Kingdom Animalia
• Phylum Chordata
• Class Mammalia
• Order Primates
• Family Hominidae
• Genus Homo
• Species Sapien
Domestic Dog
• Kingdom Animalia
• Phylum Chordata
• Class Mammalia
• Order Carnivora
• Family Canidae
• Genus Canis
• Species familaris
Naming Organisms
• In addition to classifying organisms, taxonomists also name each type of living organism.
• Naming is also called Nomenclature
Binomial Nomenclature
• “Two names”
• Taxonomists name organisms by stating the organisms genus followed by a given species name.
The use of Latin in naming
• As you have noticed latin is used for naming.
• Latin at one time was the language of scholars
Common names can cause confusion
• StarFish - not a fish
• What we may know as the green pepper is also referred to as a bell pepper, or sweet pepper.