Download Classification of Living Things

Classification of Living
Things
Introduction to the Modern
System
Need for Classification
• Living things have characteristics in common such
as the functions or activities that are necessary to
maintain life.
• In order to study living things in an organized and
efficient way, biologists find it necessary to
classify or group organisms in a logical way.
Basis for Classification
• The most common basis for
classifying organisms is
similarities in structure.
• Such as the exoskeleton, appendages, organs, or
cellular structures (chloroplasts, nuclei).
• Biochemical and genetic similarities, in patterns of
embryological development, and fossil evidence are
also used for classification.
Modern System of
Classification
• Our modern classification system
assumes that present day forms of life
developed from earlier forms.
• The Kingdom is the largest classification
group.
• Today, most biologists group organisms
into a six-kingdom system:
• Archaebacteria (ancient bacteria),
Eubacteria (true bacteria), Protista,
Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia
Classification Standards
• The six kingdom system is
based on the following
standards:
1. The presence or absence of
a nuclear membrane within the
cell.
2. Whether the organism is
unicellular (one-celled) or
multicellular (many celled)
3. Type of nutrition
Subdivisions of
Kingdoms
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Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species -includes all organisms of
the same kind
Scientific Names
• Common names are not used, Latin is
used for scientific naming because it is
the universal language of science and it
is accepted worldwide.
• Binomial Nomenclature- consist of a
genus and species name for each
organism.
• These names are written in italics.
• The genus name is capitalized and the
species name is not capitalized.
• Homo sapiens………….man
• Canis familaris…………dog