CLASSIFICATION OF MICROORGANISMS
SPOORTHI S SADAR
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
MICROORGANISMS
Microorganisms or microbes are organisms invisible to naked
eye and are visible under a microscope.
Based on their unique features, they are divided into certain
groups. They include
Bacteria
Viruses
Algae
Fungi
Protozoa
MICROBIAL TAXONOMY
The classification of microorganisms
The microorganisms are classified in the following ways
Based on plants and animals
Based on cellularity
Based on the types of nuclear materials
Five kingdom concept
Eight kingdom concept
Three domain system
CLASSIFICATION OF MICROBES BASED ON PLANTS OR
ANIMALS
Aristotle classified the living organisms into two
kingdoms
KINGDOM
Plantae Animalia
Algae All animals
Fungi Protozoa
Bacteria
CLASSIFICATION BASED ON CELLULARITY
Based on cellularity, microbes are classified into
three categories
Cellularity
Non-cellular Unicellular Multicellular
Microbes have no Microbes have Many cells
cells single cells
E.g. Viruses E.g. Protozoa E.g. Fungi
Bacteria Algae etc.
Some Algae
Some Fungi
CLASSIFICATION BASED ON THE NATURE OF NUCLEAR
MATERIALS
Nuclear Materials
Prokaryotes Eukaryotes
Organisms do not contain nucleus True nucleus
Nuclear materials not surrounded by
nuclear membrane Nuclear materials not surrounded by
nuclear membrane
E.g. Bacteria
E.g. Protozoa
Algae
Fungi
All animals
FIVE KINGDOM CONCEPT
Whittaker (1969) proposed a five kingdom concept for the classification of
microbes
Classification based on mode of nutrition and cellular organization
EIGHT KINGDOM CONCEPT
This concept was proposed by Cavalier-Smith in 1987
Eight Kingdom Concept
Empire Empire
Bacteria Eukaryota
Kingdom Kingdom
Eubacteria Archezoa
Archeobacteria Protozoa
Chromista
Plantae
Fungi
Animalia
EIGHT KINGDOM
Empire – Bacteria
Eukaryota – Includes all true bacteria
Archeobacteria – All filamentous bacteria
Empire – Eubacteria
Archezoa – Microscopic animals feeding on archebacteria
Protozoa – Unicellular animals
Chromista – Photosynthetic organisms – Diatoms, cryptomonads and
brown algae
Plantae – All Photosynthetic plants and algae
Fungi – Eukaryotic multicellular organisms – absorptive mode of
nutrition
Animalia – Multicellular animals – ingestive mode of nutrition
THREE DOMAIN SYSTEM
Proposed by Carl Woese, Otto Kandler
and Wheelis in 1990
Phylogenetic system.
Based on differences of nucleotides
in cell’s ribosomal RNAs as well as
the cells’ membrane lipid structure and
Carl Woese
its sensitivity to antibiotics.
Three domaims are
Bacteria
Archea
Eukaryota Otto Kandler
Domain – Bacteria
Unicellular or filamentous prokaryotes
They have diacyl glycerol diester and
eukaryotic type of rRNAs in the cells.
Domain – Archea
Organisms having isopyrenoid glycerol diester in cell
membrane
Archebacterial rRNAs in cells.
Domain – Eukaryota
Glycerol fatty acyldiester in cell membrane
Eukaryotic rRNAs in the cells
THANK YOU
