BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Classification

Science
Classification
Classification is the method used by scientists to order living organisms. All species have a unique classification that results in a binomial name. Vertebrates are an example of a classification group. Keys can be used to help to identify individual organisms.

Kingdom to species
Classification
You will remember from your Key Stage 3 studies that species with similar characteristics are put into groups, and that this is called classification. Remind yourself of the basics of classification .

Kingdoms
The first rank in this system is called a kingdom. There are five kingdoms, based upon what an organism's cells are like:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

animalia (all multicellular animals) plantae (all green plants) fungi (moulds, mushrooms, yeast) prokaryotae (bacteria, blue-green algae) protoctista (Amoeba, Paramecium).

Further divisions
There are several further ranks before we reach a particular species. In order, these are:

kingdom phylum class order family genus

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BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Classification

species.
For example, lions have the following classification:

kingdom - animal phylum - vertebrate class - mammal order - carnivorous family - cat genus - big cat species - lion.
One way to remember this is by using a daft sentence like this one: "Kevin plays clarinet or f lute - grotty sound!" All organisms are known by their binomial name which is the genus and species eg Homo sapiens modern humans

Classification - Higher tier

Being able to classify species is important to scientists as it allows them to accurately identify individual species wherever they are. For example - a robin in America isnt the same as a robin in the UK so by using the binomial name Turdusmigratorius (American robin) or Erithacusrubecula (UK robin) then there is no confusion. Binomial classification is important because it can:

clearly identify species study and conserve species target conservation efforts.

Kingdom characteristics
The first big division of living things in the classification system is to put them into one of five kingdoms. These are based on what an organism's cells are like. This table shows the names of the kingdoms, the characteristics and examples of the sort of organisms they contain:
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BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Classification

Kingdoms Kingdom Animalia Characteristics and Examples Multicellular, no cell wall or chlorophyll, heterotrophic feeders. Examples : all multicellular animals, including: jellyfish, worms, arthropods, molluscs, echinoderms, fish, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals

Plantae

Multicellular, have cell walls and chlorophyll, autotrophic feeders. Examples : all green plants, including: algae, ferns and mosses (plants that do not produce seeds), conifers and flowering plants (plants that do produce seeds)

Fungi

Multicellular, have cell walls, do not have chlorophyll, saprophytic feeders. Examples : moulds, mushrooms, yeast

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BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Classification

Protoctista

Usually unicellular, with a nucleus eg amoeba. Examples : amoeba and paramecium

Prokaryotes

Unicellular, with no nucleus eg bacteria. Examples : bacteria and blue-green algae

Classification examples
It can be easy to classify a species. For example, we are Homo sapiens.

Classification of species Rank Classification Notes

kingdom animalia phylum chordates animals with a supporting rod running the length of the body eg backbone

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BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Classification

class

mammals

animals that are warm-blooded, have lungs and body hair, produce milk and give birth to live young ape-like animals human-like animals humans modern humans

order family genus species

primates hominids homo sapiens

It can also be difficult to classify a certain organism. For example, the single-celled organism called Euglena has some confusing characteristics. It has:

chloroplasts, like a plant no cell wall, like an animal a flagellum to swim with, like some bacteria.
A fifth kingdom, called the protoctista, was made for organisms like Euglena.

Viruses
Scientists do not classify a virus as a living thing. This is because:

it does not show all seven processes for life when it enters a cell it changes the way a cell works so it can make copies of the virus.

Vertebrates
The vertebrates are animals with a backbone. Scientists separate this group into smaller groups because of their features:

how the animal takes in oxygen lungs, gills or through the skin thermoregulation maintains own temperature (homeotherms) or temperature varies with surroundings
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BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Classification

(poikilotherms) reproduction internal or external fertilisation, lay eggs (oviparous) or give birth to live young (viviparous). Vertebrates Group
Fish

Characteristics
Gills, external fertilisation Oviparous, poikilotherm

Amphibian

Some lungs or gills, external fertilisation Oviparous, poikilotherm

Reptile

Lungs, internal fertilisation Oviparous, poikilotherm

Bird

Lungs, internal fertilisation Oviparous, homeotherm

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BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Classification

Mammal

Lungs, internal fertilisation Vivaparous, homeotherm

Assigning vertebrates to different groups can be difficult as some fall into many categories: for example, sharks are fish but give birth to live young and use internal fertilisation.

What is a species?
Organisms of the same species:

have more characteristics in common than they do with organisms of a different species can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
Sometimes a species may have different kinds or breeds that show great variation but the individuals still belong to the same species. Different breeds of pedigree dog are like this.

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BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Classification

From left to right - Beagle, Wheaten Terrier, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Red Siberian Husky, Irish Setter, Golden Retriever, Boxer, Sheltie

Similar species tend to live in similar habitats, and are closely related in evolutionary terms. They are likely to share a relatively recent ancestor. Closely related species living in different types of habitat may have different characteristics. You can use keys to identify organisms according to their features. A species is defined as organisms that produce fertile offspring but this is sometimes limited as some organisms do not always reproduce sexually, and some hybrids are fertile. Sometimes classification can be complicated by:

variation within a species hybridisation (closely related species breed to produce offspring that have characteristics of both the hybrids are often infertile) ring species neighbouring populations of species may have slightly different characteristics but can still interbreed as part of a chain but the two ends of the chain cant interbreed.

Keys
Keys are used to help identify a species. Keys can either be branching or a series of paired statements and are based on the physical characteristics of the species. A key to identify simple farm animals would be:
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BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Classification

Statement 1. Does the animal have four legs

Yes go to statement 2 No go to statement 4

2. Does the animal have a curly tail?

Yes pig No go to statement 3

3. Does the animal have a hoof divided into two parts?

Yes cow No - horse

4. Does the animal have webbed feet? Yes duck

No - human Now try a Test Bite. Now try a Test Bite - higher. Back to Revision Bite

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