TAXONOMY &

CLASSIFICATION
The Need To Name And Classify

Taxonomy-is the study of the general principles of scientific

•

classification.
•
The field of biology that deals with the process of identifying,
naming and classifying organism.
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It is also derived from the Greek word Taxis Which Means
“Arrangement” Nomos means “laws”.
Classification- is a systematic arrangement in groups or categories.
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systematics – is the orderly arrangement of organisms into groups

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The Need to Name and Classify
It is believed that there are thirteen to fourteen million species
existing in Earth. However, only 1.8 million species of living
organisms have been named and classified.

It is too chaotic to study these organisms without assigning names to

each species and without grouping them into distinct groups.
Classifying
Similarities and differences
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Physical characteristics
•
DNA sequences
•
Types of proteins produced by organisms

Classifying organisms will help explain the great diversity of life on

Earth and how organisms are related to each other.
Naming
The Binomial System of Naming Organisms
Binomial nomenclature (two names in Latin)
- The present system of naming organisms which
is the legacy of the Swedish naturalist, Carl von
Linne (Carolus Linnaeus)
 Scientific name

genus species

This is based on the ff:

*characteristics of the organism
*location where the organism was first found
*name of the discoverer
Advantages of using scientific names:
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gives a distinct identity to a particular organism
•
to avoid confusion as opposed to using common names
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It is universal which makes them understandable to all
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Accurately & uniformly names organisms
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Prevents misnomers such as starfish & jellyfish that aren't really fish
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Uses same language (Latin or some Greek) for all names
Latin
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was a common language used and understood by many biologists
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descriptive, thus making them suited in identifying and describing the
characteristics of an organism
• Confusion in Using Different
Languages for Names
• Latin Names are Understood
by all Taxonomists
• Scientific names help scientists to communicate.
– Some species have very similar common names.
– Some species have many common names.
Rules for Writing Scientific Names
• When we use the Latin name for an organism, we
ALWAYS capitalize the Genus (first part) but NOT
the species identifier (second part).
• We also print the name in Italics or Separately
nderline them. For example:
– Acer rubrum (scientific name) - red maple tree
(common name) or Acer rubrum
• Acer is the Latin name for Maple (genus)
• rubrum is the Latin word for Red (species)
– OR the name can be abbreviated as: A. rubrum
• Humans are named: Homo sapiens
– Homo because of our large brain and upright
posture.
– sapiens because of our intelligence and ability to
speak.
Linnaeus’ classification system has seven
levels.

Each level is
included in the
level above it.
• Levels get
increasingly
specific from
kingdom to
species.
– Each kingdom (plant and animal) was divided into a phylum* (division for
plants)
– Each phylum into a smaller groups called class.
– Each class was divided into an order.
– Each order was divided into family (families).
– Each family was divided into a genus (plural-genera)
– Each genus was divided into a species. (scientific name)

*Note: Phyla and family were not in Linnaeus’s classification system but were added by
modern scientists.
 HOW TO REMEMBER THAT:

KING PHILIP CAME OVER FOR

GOOD SOUP
System of Classification
ARISTOTLE

•
Father of Biology
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In 300 B.C, He classified organisms wIth red
blood and those without
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He classified organisms as plant and
animals
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He subdivided plants by physical
characteristics.
CAROLUS
LINNAEUS
Father of
taxonomy
 CAROLUS LINNAEUS
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In Eighteenth century, Modern taxonomy began with his work
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He published his own book Systema Naturae in which he outlined his
scheme of classifying organisms.
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He developed a system of classification with hierarchical categories.
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He assigned organism into groups within groups, until an organism is
defined within its own species.
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This system is called Linnaean System.
 LINNAEAN
SYSTEM
Linnaean system was widely
accepted during the
nineteenth century and is still
the basic framework for all
taxonomy in the biological
sciences today.
23
THREE DOMAINS OF THE LIVING WORLD
Domain Eukarya
Domain Archaea
Domain Bacteria
THREE DOMAIN OF THE LIVING WORLD
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In 1997, Carl Woese, American
scientist, in collaboration with
Ralph S. Wolfe, proposed the
third domain form of life.
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They proposed a system of
classification that divided all
oganism into Three Domains.
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Domain is the highest taxonomic
group before the kingdom
category.
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They support the idea that none
of the three is ancestral to the
other and each domain shares
certain features as well as
having unque characteristics.
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DOMAIN EUKARYA

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It includes eukaryotic organisms.
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These are organisms with cells that
contain a nucleus as well as membrane-
bound organelles. The kingdoms most
associated with Eukarya are the Plantae,
Animalia, and Fungi kingdoms.
OTHER EXAMPLES
DOMAIN EUKARYA
 PANTHERA LEO

BASIDIOMYCOTA
DOMAIN ARCHAEA

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It is mostly composed of cells that live in
extreme environments.
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While they are able to live elsewhere,
they are usually not found there because
outside of extreme environments they
are competitively excluded by other
organisms.
OTHER EXAMPLES
DOMAIN ARCHAEA
 EURYACHAEOTA
HALOARCHAEA
DOMAIN BACTERIA

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It is composed of organisms that are
much more common than Archaea and
live almost anywhere.
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Many are decomposers, some are
photosynthesizers, and a few cause
disease. Most bacteria cause disease by
producing exotoxins that harm human
cells, while others cause illness as a
result of glycoproteins found on the
outside of their capsules.
OTHER EXAMPLES
DOMAIN BACTERIA
CYANOBACTERIA CARBON EATING BACTERIA
The Six-Kingdom System of
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Classification 
Kingdom Eubacteria includes the true
In this system of classification, Kingdom Monera bacteria and blue-green algae.
in the five-kingdom was replaced and divided 
Kingdom Archaea includes bacteria-like
into two distinct groups, Kingdom Eubacteria and organisms that live in extremely harsh
Kingdom Archaea, in addition to the four environments, such as hotsprings,
eukaryotic kingdoms. volcanic vents, sewage treatment plants,
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Six-Kingdom includes: ocean floors, and swamp sediments.

Kingdom Eubacteria

Kingdom Archaea

Kingdom Protista

Kingdom Fungi

Kingdom Plantae

Kingdom Animalia
•
The Five-Kingdom System of Classification
Taxonomists proposed the five-kingdom system which is
•

Kingdom Monera – Small, simple single prokaryotic cell
recognized by most biologists today. The five kingdoms (nucleus and organelles not enclosed by a membrane) ;
includes: some form chains or mats.

Kingdom Monera (True Bacteria) 
Kingdom Protista – Large, single eukaryotic cell (nucleus

Kingdom Protista (Protozoans and Algae) and organelles are enclosed by membranes) ; some form
chains or colonies.

Kingdom Plantae (Plants)

Kingdom Plantae – Multicellular form with specialized

Kingdom Fungi (Fungi, Molds, Yeast, etc.) eukaryotic cells with a rigid cell walls, and chlorophyll;

Kingdom Animalia (Animals) inability to locomote
Organisms belonging to the Kingdom Monera are called

Kingdom Fungi – Multicellular filamentous form with
Prokaryotic Organisms because they lack a true nucleus, specialized eukaryotic cells; lack photosynthetic
cytoskeletons, and internal membranes. All other organisms pigments.
aside from the monerans are called Eukaryotic Organisms 
Kingdom Animalia – Multicellular form with specialized
because their cell nuclei and organelles are enclosed by eukaryotic cells, without cell walls or chlorophylls; ability
membranes and they contain cytoskeletons. Living to locomote.
organisms can also be classified as either unicellular (made
up of a single cell) or multicellular (made up of more than
one cell)
KINGDOM
It is the highest category in Linnaean system.
At this level, organisms are distinguished on the basic cellular
organization and methods of nutrition.
PHYLUM
At this level, organisms are grouped together based on similarities in
basic body plan of organization.
CLASS
It is a major group of organisms, e.g. Mammalia, Reptilia,
Gastropoda, Insecta, etc that contains a large number of different
sublineages, but have shared characteristics in common (e.g.
warm-blooded, fur, mammary glands in female in the case of
mammals, six legs and three body parts in the case of Insects,
etc).
ORDER
It is group of organisms, e.g. Lepidoptera, Squamata, Primates,
etc that although differing quite a bit among themselves still
have a large degree of characteristics in common.
It is usually based on the traditional status of that group in earlier
literature.
FAMILY
It is a group of organisms among which the differences are quite
minor, e.g. Equidae - horses and their relatives, Ceratopsidae -
horned dinosaurs, or Hominidae, man and ape-men (although
again the differences among Hominids are extremely slight, here
we see a chauvinistic taxonomic inflation, elevated a probably
genus rank to family ranking).
GENUS
Only very closely related species are grouped together in a single genus.
The genus is sort of like the surname, whereas the species is the first
name.
SPECIES
It is the most specific unit of classification.
Basic unit of identification.
Organisms at this category are capable of breeding with one
another to produce fertile offspring.
Prokaryotes- organisms in this group that lack the
membrane-bound organelles and nucleus.

Photosynthetic bacteria called cyanobacteria are important

oxygen produces. Lichens are a symbiotic relationship
between fungus and a cyanobacterium.
Legumes form symbiotic relationships with the nitrogen-fixing
bacteria in soil.
cCYANOBACTERIA
Three classifications of bacteria according to their
shapes:

• Cocci- circular or globular shaped

• Bacilli- rod-shaped
• Spirilla- spiral-shaped

Another way to classify bacteria is their ability to be

stained with a special dye called Gram stain.
COCCI
SPIRILLA
Gram stain was
developed by a
Danish physician
named Hans Christian
Gram in the year
1884.
Bacteria that absorb and retain the primary stain during
the Gram staining procedure are referred to as gram
positive bacteria, whereas those who do not retain the
stain are referred to as gram negative bacteria.

Microbiologists recognize the three main groups of

bacteria on the basis of differences in their cell walls.

•Wall-less bacteria
• Gram-negative bacteria
• Gram-positive bacteria
VIRUSES

Viruses are infectious agents made up of nucleic acids that

are enclosed within the protein coat called capsid.
Virion a virus found outside a cell, an inert particle that
cannot grow and cannot undergo biosynthetic or
biochemical activity.
SMALLPOX VIRUS AIDS VIRUS
KINGDOM
PROTISTA

61
•
Large group of diverse eukaryotic, mainly unicellular
microorganisms, that do not form tissues
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Protists were traditionally subdivided into several groups based
on similarities to the "higher" kingdoms: the unicellular "animal-
like" protozoa, the "plant-like" protophyta (mostly unicellular
algae), and the "fungus-like" slime molds and water molds.
Kingdom Structural Method of Nutrition Examples Known
Organization Species

P Large, single Absorbs, ingests, Protozoans, 250 000+

R eukaryotic cell; and/or various types
O some form photosynthesizes of algae
T chains and food
I colonies
S
T
A
 Euglena Gacilis

Amoeba Proteus
Paramecium Aurelia

Plasmodium falciparum

Pediastrum boryanum
Major groups of protists
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Chlorophyta
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Rodophyta
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Phaeophyta
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Bacillariophyta
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Oomycota
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Euglenozoa
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Alveolata
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Choanoflagellida
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Myxomycota
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Protozoa
diatoms
Water molds
dinoflagellates
Slime molds
Slime molds
amoeba
Fungi
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Multicellular filamentous form with specialized eukaryotic cell
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It lack photosynthetic pigments

Kingdom Structural Method Examples Known

Organization of Species
Nutrition
F Multicellular Absorbs Fungi,
U filamentous food molds,
N form with yeast
G specialized
I eukaryotic
cells; lack
photosynthetic
pigments
Plantae
Plantae includes all land plants: mosses, ferns, conifers, flowering plants, and
•

so on—an amazing range of diverse forms.

Kingdom Structural Method of Examples Known

Organization Nutrition Species

P Multicellular Photosyn- Mosses, 350 000+

L form with thesizes ferns
A specialized food woody and
N eukaryotic nonwoody
T cells with flowering
A rigid cell lants
E walls, and
chlorophyll;
inability to
locomote
KINGDOM PLANTAE
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Multicellular eukaryotic organisms that are all autotrophic (capable of
producing their own food by the process of photosynthesis)
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Originated from ancestors related tp green algae called charophytes
Producers- provide the needed food for many other forms of organisms
2 general groups based on the presence or absence of vascular
tissues
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Bryophytes
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Tracheophytes
Primitive forms of
plants that lack
tracheids (an
elongated
tampering xylem
cell having lignified,
pitted, intact walls
adapted for
conduction and
support)
Tracheophytes divided into:
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Seedless plants
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Seed plants
 Seedless plants

horsetails

ferns
Animalia
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The major group of animals are classified under the Kingdom Animalia
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Also known as Metazoa
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They are muticellular or eukaryotes and lack cell wall
Kingdom Structural Method Examples Known
Organization of Species
Nutrition
A Multicellular Ingests Sponges, 1 000 000+
N form with food worms,
I specialized insects,
M eukaryotic fishes,
A cells, without amphibians,
L cell walls or reptiles,
I chlorophylls; birds, and
A ability to mammals
locomote
Taxonomy and Evolution
Evolution – A change in the gene pool of a population over time.
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Phylogenetic systematics is the field of taxonomy that deals with identifying

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the evolutionary relationships among many different kinds of life on Earth,

both living and dead.
Phylogeny – the historical relationship among organisms.
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Molecular phylogenetics is a branch of biology that studies the

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relationships of organisms based on their DNA and protein compositions by

the use of computer algorithms.
Phylogenetic tree is an illustration or diagram used to visually present the
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evolutionary relationships among groups of organisms.

PHYLOGENETIC TREE OF LIFE
PHYLOGENETIC TREE OF CHORDATES
PHYLOGENETIC TREE OF MAMMALS
PHYLOGENETIC TREE OF PRIMATES
PHYLOGENETIC TREE OF HOMINIDS
EMERGENCE OF HUMANS