Chapter 1.

Classification
Chapter 1 Learning Objectives
Learn the 7 characteristics of life
Learn the features of cells
Learn how organisms are classified
Learn the order of classification
Learn the characteristics of Phylum Vertebrata and its 5 classes
Learn the characteristics of Phylum Arthropoda and its 4 classes
Learn the characteristics of Kingdom Plantae
Learn the characteristics of Kingdom Fungi
Learn the characteristics of Kingdom Protoctista
Learn the characteristics of Kingdom Prokaryotae
Learn about characteristics of viruses
Learn how to use and construct a dichotomous key
Learn how to calculate magnification
What’s the difference? What makes one
‘alive’?
 1.1 Classification of Living things

All organisms must meet SEVEN characteristics to be considered

‘alive’

What seven characteristics do you think livings things should have?

 1.1 Classification of Living things

All organisms must meet SEVEN characteristics to be considered

‘alive’

1- Movement You can use the acronym

2- Respiration MRS GREN
3- Sensitivity
4- Growth
5- Reproduction
6- Excretion
7- Nutrition
 Movement
All organisms can move their body from place to place or at least part of their body.
Movement as an action by an organism or part of an organism causing a change
of position or place
Remember plants can also move just more slowly (e.g. leaves closing at night)
Respiration
All organisms break down glucose inside their cells to release energy for
metabolism.

respiration as the chemical reactions in cells that break down nutrient

molecules and release energy for metabolism
 Sensitivity

All organisms can detect and respond to changes in their environment

sensitivity as the ability to detect or sense stimuli in the internal or

external environment and to make appropriate responses

e.g. sweating when it is hot, plants moving towards light…

 Growth
All organisms a born small and get larger. Their cells grow and add new
cells to their body.

growth as a permanent increase in size and dry mass by an increase in

cell number or cell size or both

Dry mass= Mass of an organism after water has been removed

 Reproduction
All organisms can make new organisms which are the same species as
themselves

reproduction as the processes that make more of the same kind of

organism

Either via sexual or asexual reproduction

 Excretion
All organisms produce toxic and unwanted waste which is removed from the body

excretion as removal from organisms of the waste products of metabolism

(chemical reactions in cells including respiration), toxic materials, and
substances in excess of requirements

e.g. urinating to rid of urea and ammonia, seating to rid of salts, exhaling to rid of
Co2

Note: Defecating (pooing) is NOT an example of excretion. Urinating on the other

hand IS excreting
 Nutrition
All organisms take substances from the environment to grow and obtain
energy to make new cells.

nutrition as taking in of materials for energy, growth and development;

plants require light, carbon dioxide, water and ions
animals need organic compounds and ions and usually need water
How do you fit all 7 characteristics of life?
 Features of cells in living organisms

Not only do living organisms meet the 7 characteristics of life, but their
cells all have the same common components.

1- Cytoplasm
2- Cell membrane
3- DNA- making up the genetic information
4- Ribosomes- for protein synthesis
5- Enzymes- used for anaerobic respiration
What would you classify this animal as?

- Webbed feet
- Duck bill
- Fur
- Tail
- Lays eggs
- Secretes milk
Dr. G. Shaw who first examined a dead
specimen even thought it was a hoax.
What would you classify this animal as?

Dr. G. Shaw called it Platypus anatinus

which means “Flat-footed” “Like a duck”
Later changed to Ornithorhynchus anatinus
meaning “Nose like a bird” “Puzzling”
Name was changed since “Platypus” was
already used for a species of beetle.
People still refer to the animal as Platypus
however.
1.2 Classification

Scientist use classification to put organisms into groups based on common

features to make it easier to study them.

Different groups such as Mammals have common features (e.g. fur,

produce milk…) because they originate from a common ancestor.

The common ancestor for mammals existed 200 million years ago and
gave rise to all mammals today.
Newly discovered placental mammal’s
common ancestor

morganucodontid
In the old days…

In the past scientists classified organisms into groups based the organism’s
Morphology and Anatomy

Morphology = overall shape and form of an organism (e.g. no. of legs)

Anatomy= features of detailed body structure (requires dissection and
separation of parts)

Classification based purely on observation is called Artificial

classification
Remember what this is?
 DNA
DNA is genetic material which is passed down from generation to generation

DNA has 4 different bases which can be arranged in any order

Classification using DNA

Nowadays in addition to the old methods, scientist study an organism’s

DNA to classify them. Organisms with similar DNA bases are more
closely related and have a more recent common ancestor

Classification via the study of DNA bases is called Natural Classification

Classification system aim to reflect Evolutionary relationships

Can you tell which two organisms are closely
related?
Linnaean Classification system
In 1735, Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus classified all living things into
groups based on their characteristics and behavior.

This classification system allowed for the subdivision of living organisms

into smaller and more specialised groups

This system is called the Linnaean Classification system and is still used
today.
 Kingdom
All living things can be classified into 5 kingdoms

Animal
Plant
Fungi
Prokaryote*
Protoctist

*You may sometimes see

Moneran instead of
Prokaryote, but it is rather
obsolete.
Phylum
Phylum or Phyla (plural) is the next level below kingdom and contain a
great diversity of organisms.

For example under the kingdom Animalia (Animal) there are different
phyla.
 Class
The level below phylum is called class.

For example under the phylum Vertebrata (animals with a backbone) there are 5
different classes:

-Mammals
-Birds
-Fish
-Reptiles
-Amphibians
Order

The level after class is order. Each order will contain several Families

E.g. Carnivora is the order which contains the family which contains flesh
eating placental mammals.
Family
The next level below Order is Family and will contain several Genera

E.g. Felida is the family that contains all Genera of cat-like animals
Genus
Genus is the next level of classification below Family.

Each Genera (plural) will contain several species

Organisms within the same genus will also share similar characteristics
 genus

species
Example: Dog Canis familiaris

What can you notice as we move

down each level of classification?
 Species
Species is the smallest and most basic unit for organism
classification

Organisms belong to the same species if they are able to mate and
produce fertile offspring.

Organisms within the same species have similar features

e.g. Panthera tigris is the species commonly called Tiger

 Grey area of classification

Sometimes organisms from different species are able to mate and produce
living offspring.

These offspring are infertile (unable to reproduce) (e.g. mules, ligers)

Such infertile hybrids are not

given a species.
Levels of taxonomic classification

Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species

King Philip came over for good supper

Binomial system

All organisms are given a Latin Binomial name (scientific name)

consisting of two parts. This naming system is called the Binomial
nomenclature or Binomial system.

The first word is the name of the genus

The second word is the name of the species

The binomial name for humans is Homo sapiens

Human is the common name
Rules for scientific name/binomial name

First letter of first word (genus) is capitalized

Second word (species) is in lowercase
Name is typed in italics
Name is underlined when hand-written on paper
Do not underline the space between the two words

Canis familiaris Canis familiaris

The genus can be abbreviated to its first letter followed by the species after a
dot.

e.g. C. familiaris
What is the Binomial name of the Eastern
Bearded dragon?

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Agamidae
Genus: Pogona
Species: P. barbata
 Recap questions
1. What are the 7 characteristics of life?
2. What is the smallest unit of classification?
3. Which genus does Physalia physalis (Portuguese man o' war) belong to?
4. How are organisms classified in modern times? How does differ from traditional
methods?
5. What is a Binomial name?
6. Two species with similar DNA bases have a more recent or distant ancestor?
7. A golden retriever can produce fertile offspring with a poodle. What does this imply
about the two dog breeds?
8. Classification systems aim to express______________ relationships.
Chapter 1 Learning Objectives
Learn the 7 characteristics of life
Learn the features of cells
Learn how organisms are classified
Learn the order of classification
Learn the characteristics of Phylum Vertebrata and its 5 classes
Learn the characteristics of Phylum Arthropoda and its 4 classes
Learn the characteristics of Kingdom Plantae
Learn the characteristics of Kingdom Fungi
Learn the characteristics of Kingdom Protoctista
Learn the characteristics of Kingdom Prokaryotae
Learn about characteristics of viruses
Learn how to use and construct a dichotomous key
Learn how to calculate magnification
Kingdom: Animal/Animalia

Most Animals are able to move and actively hunt for food. Some animals
such as Sea Anemone were thought to be plants because they do not move
and look like flowers.

Their cells have a nucleus but NO cell wall or chloroplasts

Animals are multicellular
Animals feed on substances made from other living organisms
(heterotrophic)
Can you give some examples of Animals…
Phyla in kingdom Animalia

phylum
echinoderms

Vertebrates =
animals with
a backbone.
Phylum: Vertebrata/Vertebrates

Vertebrates are animals that have a backbone

Other phyla of kingdom Animalia such as Arthropods are Invertebrates
meaning that they have no backbone

There are 5 classes of Vertebrates:

Mammals
Birds
Fish
Reptiles
Amphibians
 Class: Mammalia/Mammals
Mammals are Vertebrates that:

Have hair or fur

Have different types of teeth (incisors, molars, pre-molars & canines)
Have a heart with FOUR chambers
Feed their young with milk from mammary glands
Have a placenta
Have a diaphragm
Are endothermic*

* Endothermic animals are warm-blooded. They are able to regulate and maintain a
constant body temperature independent of the environment.
 Class: Birds (Aves)
Birds are vertebrates that:

Lay eggs with hard shells

Have feathers
Have a beak
Have forearms that became wings
Are endothermic
FYI bats are not birds
 Class: Fish (Osteichthyes)
Fish are Vertebrates that:

Have scaly skin (wet scales)

Have gills
Have fins
Are ectothermic (cold-blooded)

Most fish live in water, although there are some exceptions such as the mudskipper
which can breathe air for short periods.
 Class: Reptilia/Reptiles
Reptiles are Vertebrates that:

Have scaly skin (dry scale)

Lay eggs with rubbery water-proof shell
Are ectothermic (cold-blooded)
 Class: Amphibia/Amphibians
Amphibians are Vertebrates that:

Have moist skin with no scales

Lay soft eggs in water
Larva (tadpoles) live in water
Larva have gills whilst adults have lungs
Are ectothermic (cold-blooded)

Amphibians usually live on land but will eventually return to a source of

water to breed.
Questions 1.7 & 1.8 pg. 12

1. List 3 ways in which mammals differ from all Birds

2.

3. Why are bats classified as mammals and not birds despite having wings?
More recap questions

1. All mammals belong to Phylum _________________ as they have a backbone.

2. What are the defining features of mammals?

3. Which two classes of Phylum Vertebrata are endothermic?

 Phylum: Arthropoda/Arthropods

Arthropods are invertebrates that:

Have jointed legs

Have an exoskeleton (hard protective & supportive outer covering)

Arthropods are a highly successful phylum because their exoskeleton is

waterproof allowing them to live on dry land.

There are more arthropods than all other animals put together.
4 classes of phylum Arthropoda

Arachnids
 Insecta/Insects
Insects are very successful due to their water-proof exoskeleton and tracheae which
prevents water from evaporating from body, allowing them to live in dry places.

Insects have the following characteristics

Have 3 pairs of jointed legs (6 legs in total)

Have two pairs of wings (one or both may be vestigial)
Breathe through tracheae
Body is divided into 3 sections (Head, Thorax, Abdomen)
Vestigial wings
 Crustacea/Crustaceans
Crustaceans are a class of arthropods that include crabs, lobsters,
woodlice, shrimp and barnacles.

They have the following characteristics:

Breathe through gills

More than four pairs of jointed legs
Not millipedes or centipedes

As crustaceans have gills they are usually aquatic (live in water),

although woodlice can live on land, so long as it is a damp place.
Feeding legs
 Arachnida/Arachnids
Arachnids are terrestrial (live on land) and include spiders, scorpions &
mites.

They have the following characteristics:

Have four pairs of jointed legs (8 in total)

Breathe through gills called book lungs
Body divided into 2 parts (cephalothorax and abdomen)
Myriapoda/Myriapods

Myriapods is the group of arthropods containing centipedes and millipedes.

Myriapods have the following characteristics:

Body consisting of many segments

Each body segment has a pair of legs
Quick Recap questions

What are two differences between Insects and Arachnids?

What are the two features which are common in all arthropods?

Are arthropods vertebrates or invertebrates?

What are the 4 classes of Arthropods?

Which class do lobsters fall into?

 Kingdom: Plantae/Plants
Flowering plants, moss, ferns

-Plants are organisms whose cells have a cell wall (made of cellulose) and
chloroplasts (which contain chlorophyll).

-Plants are usually green because of the chlorophyll in their cells.

Chlorophyll is a green pigment that absorbs energy from the sun.

- Plants use energy from the sun to make glucose in a process called
photosynthesis using carbon dioxide and water molecules.
Remember this?
2 main groups of plants

Ferns Flowering plants

 Ferns
Ferns have leaves called fronds
Ferns reproduce by means of spores which are produced on the underside
of fronds
Ferns do not have flowers
Ferns have roots, a stem (called rhizome) and leaves (fronds)

Sporangia is a
spore case
where spores
develop
Flowering plants- 2 types

Most common plant you come across, including many trees.

Has roots, stem and leaves

Reproduce by means of flowers and seeds

TWO types of flowering plants

-Monocotyledonous (Monocots)
- Dicotyledonous (Dicots)
Cotyledon= the embryonic leaf in seed-bearing plants

Narrower leaves More spread out

Broader leaves

e.g. Bean
Monocot vs Dicot seed
e.g. corn e.g. common
bean
Monocot or Dicot?
Monocot or Dicot?
Monocot or Dicot?
Monocot or Dicot?
Monocot or Dicot?
Monocot or Dicot?
Monocot or Dicot?
Monocot or Dicot?
Recap questions

1- What are some differences between Ferns and Flowering plants?

2- How many types of flowering plants are there? What are they called?

3- Which three features do plant cells have that are absent in animal cells?

4- How do plants obtain their food?

 Kingdom: Fungi
Fungi, once thought to be plants based on their appearance, have the following
characteristics:

Reproduce by means of spores

Are usually multicellular
Have a nuclei
Obtain nutrition by saprophytic and parasitic nutrition
Do NOT photosynthesise
Have cell walls made of chitin NOT cellulose

Saprophytic nutrition- Absorbing nutrient directly from dead or decaying matter. Digestion
takes place outside the organism.

Parasitic nutrition- Obtaining nutrient directly from the host organism

Hypha/Hyphae (plural)- long
filamentous branching structure of a
fungus

Mycelium- made up of many hyphae

bundled together. Mycelium makes up
the vegetative structure of the fungus.
They can also grow outwards to search
for nutrient
Mushroom

Unicellular

Yeast
Multicellular

Polypore

Mould
 Uses and harm of fungi

Fungi have many uses

e.g. -Yeast to raise bread and make alcohol
-Obtain antibiotics such as penicillin from different fungus
-Mushrooms as a food source
They can also cause harm
e.g. -Cause infections such as ringworm or athletes foot
-Decay food
-Allergy (from mold spores)
-Poisonous to eat (death caps)
Quick recap questions

1. How do fungi obtain nutrition?

2.

3. Do fungi need sunlight?

4.

5. Are most fungi multicellular or unicellular? Can you name a unicellular fungi?
6.

7. What are some uses of fungi?

8.

9. What are fungal cell walls made of?

Chapter 1 Learning Objectives
Learn the 7 characteristics of life
Learn the features of cells
Learn how organisms are classified
Learn the order of classification
Learn the characteristics of Phylum Vertebrata and its 5 classes
Learn the characteristics of Phylum Arthropoda and its 4 classes
Learn the characteristics of Kingdom Plantae
Learn the characteristics of Kingdom Fungi
Learn the characteristics of Kingdom Protoctista
Learn the characteristics of Kingdom Prokaryotae
Learn about characteristics of viruses
Learn how to use and construct a dichotomous key
Learn how to calculate magnification
 Kingdom: Protoctista/Protoctists

Organisms within Kingdom Protocticta are rather diverse ranging from

unicellular organisms to multicellular organisms like seaweed.

Protoctists have the following characteristics:

Are either unicellular or multicellular

Cells have a nucleus
Cells may or may not have chloroplasts or cell walls
Some feed via photosynthesis (autrophically) or from substances
produced by other organisms (heterotrophically)
Giant kelp

Amoeba proteus
 Kingdom: Prokaryotae/Prokaryotes

Includes all bacteria and blue-green algae (cyanobacteria)

Prokaryotes have very different cell structures to other organisms (eukaryotes). They have
the following characteristics:

Cell has NO nucleus

Have cell walls NOT made of cellulose (made of Peptidoglycan /murein)
Have no mitochondria
Usually unicellular
Some have chlorophyll and can photosynthesise
Typical bacterial cell
Not all bacteria are harmful

Some bacteria are pathogenic (cause disease) e.g. cholera

Many bacteria are helpful and play an important role in the ecosystem
(carbon/nitrogen cycle) and in biotechnology (genetic engineering)

Your gut contains helpful bacteria that aids with digestion and keeps away
harmful bacteria
Prokaryote or Protoctist

Euglena
Prokaryote or Protoctist

Euglena
Viruses (NOT a kingdom)
Viruses are not considered to be living as they do not meet any of the
characteristics of life.

All viruses can only reproduce parasitically by entering a host cell and
take over the cell’s machinery, forcing them to produce more copies of
the virus.

Virus are not made of cells and exist at a strand of RNA or DNA
surrounded by a protein coat.

All viruses are pathogens (harmful and cause diseases)

 Virus replication

Host cell is destroyed in the

process
 HIV
Virus that infects
bacterial cells
Different virus types (not species)

COVID-19
1µm= 0.001 mm
1nm= 0.0000001 mm
Chapter 1 Learning Objectives
Learn the 7 characteristics of life
Learn the features of cells
Learn how organisms are classified
Learn the order of classification
Learn the characteristics of Phylum Vertebrata and its 5 classes
Learn the characteristics of Phylum Arthropoda and its 4 classes
Learn the characteristics of Kingdom Plantae
Learn the characteristics of Kingdom Fungi
Learn the characteristics of Kingdom Protoctista
Learn the characteristics of Kingdom Prokaryotae
Learn about characteristics of viruses
Learn how to use and construct a dichotomous key
Learn how to calculate magnification
Recap

1. Why are viruses not considered living organisms?

2.

3. What are the two main components of a virus?

4.

5. How do viruses reproduce?

6.

7. Viruses are smaller than bacteria? (T/F)

 Dichotomous key
A dichotomous key allows us to identify organisms based on their physical attributes.

You will eventually be led to the name of the organism as the key will give you two
descriptions to choose from. Each choice you make will lead you closer to your organism’s
name.
How to construct a dichotomous key

Identify features of the organisms that are unique (no. of legs)

Identify features of the organisms that will allow you to split them into two
groups each time.

Test out your dichotomous key. Your peers should also be able to arrive at
the same result using your key.
Millipede Scorpion June beetle

Lobster
Black widow
1. More than 5 pairs of limbs..................... Millipede
Has 5 or fewer than 5 pairs of limbs …… 2

2. Has wings ………………………………... June beetle

Does not have wings…………………... 3

3. Has front limbs as pincers ……….…………. 4

Does not have pincers ……................. Black widow

3. Has a stinger tail ……………. ……………scorpion

Does not have a stinger tail …………….Lobster
Project 1 (poster design)

Design poster about school’s new tortoise

Include each taxonomic level of its classification
Include info on each taxonomic level
Other basic info about the tortoise
Make poster aesthetic (pictures)
A4 paper
Counts towards grade
Project 1 (poster design)

Design poster about school’s new tortoise

Create a dichotomous key to differentiate different
members of the Testudines (all turtles & tortoises)
order and or
Testudinidae (tortoise) family to help identify
Master Oogway.
African spurred tortoise/ Sulcata tortoise
(Centrochelys sulcata)

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Family: Testudinidae
Genus: Centrochelys
Species: C. sulcata
How poster will be marked

Marks awarded for 3 categories:

1- Content ( /5)
2- Design and layout/aesthetic ( /5)
3- Overall impression ( /3)

Total 13 marks
 Magnification calculations
We are often presented with photos or diagrams that have been magnified to see
clearly (e.g. a diagram of a bacteria cell).

We use the following formula to calculate the magnification

Magnification= Image size / Actual size

Size of Size of the
specimen on original
paper specimen
We can rearrange the formula depending on what we are looking for.
Remember to convert to the same
units first
cm(x10) mm (x 1000)  μm(x 1000) nm

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBdVARYWq1c
 Example 1. calculating magnification
Calculate the magnification of the following image of sea
urchin eggs.
1. Use a ruler and measure the provided scale bar.
2. (Assume the scale bar measures at 20mm).
Convert the measurement into micrometres (μm)
mm (x 1,000)  μm
20mm x 1,000 = 20,000μm
3. Substitute the values into the formula
M=I/A
M= 2,0000μm/50μm
Magnification = 400x

Remember to make sure

the units are the same
 Example 2. calculating the actual size

The electron micrograph image below has a 1. Measure the length of the image using a ruler. This is
magnification of 10,000x. Calculate the actual the image size
size of the bacterial cell. (Assume the image is 20mm across)
2. Convert the measurement into mm
3. Substitute the values into the formula
M=I/A  A= I/M
A= 20mm/10,000x
A= 0.002mm
4. Convert your answer into μm (mm x1000 μm)

Actual image= 0.002mm x 1000= 2 μm

Practice question Q6.b

Assume scale bar is

2cm
 Convert to
Practice question 6.b same units
100nm= 0.0001mm 20mm= 20,000,000
M=I/A: 20mm/0.0001mm OR M= 20,000,000/100
Magnification= 200,000x M= 200,000X

Assume scale bar is

2cm=20mm