BTNY-MM: XI 2 BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION

➔ Biological classification is the scientific ordering of organisms Five-Kingdom Classification by R.H. Whittaker (1969)
into groups for the ease of study. Living organisms

Kingdom Monera Protista Fungi Plantae Animalia

This classification was based on-
(i) Cell structure, (ii) body organisation, (iii) mode of nutrition,
(iv) reproduction & (v) evolutionary relationships

Three-domain / Six-kingdom classification

Living world
Domain Archea Bacteria Eukarya

Kingdom A.bacteria Eubacteria Protista Fungi Plantae

Animalia

KINGDOM MONERA
 Bacteria are the members of this kingdom.
Shape of Bacteria

Cocci Bacilli Spirilla Vibrio

(spherical) (rod-shaped) (spiral) (comma-shaped)

Aristotle’s classification
Plants Animals
Monerans
Herbs Shrubs Trees Red blooded Non- red
blooded Archaebacteria Eubacteria
Two-kingdom classification by Linnaeus Halophiles Photosynthetic bacteria
* In salty areas Type: Cyanobacteria / Blue-Green algae
Living organisms
Thermoacidophiles * Bloom in polluted water
Kingdom Plantae Animalia * in hot springs * Have chrophyll-a
(with cell-wall) (without cell-wall) Methanogens * Heterocyst – Cell that
Plants (Algae, Mosses, Ferns, Animals
* In Marshy areas and in can fix atm. N2
Gymnosperm, Angiosperm) Protozoans guts of ruminant animals. e.g, Nostoc, Anabaena
Fungi Use: Produce biogas
Bacteria / Monera
Some protists
Chemosynthetic bacteria
Drawbacks of 2-kingdom classification- * Oxidize inorganic compounds for ATP
A. It does not distinguish between - * Recycle nutrients
o prokaryotes and eukaryotes. e.g, N-bacteria, S-bac, P-bac, Fe-bac
o unicellular (e.g. Chlamydomonas) and multicellular (e.g.
Heterotrophic bacteria
Spirogyra) organisms. * Uses: In making curd, antibiotics
o autotrophs (e.g. green algae) and / heterotrophs (e.g.: fungi). Fix nitrogen in legume roots.
o cellulosic and non-cellulosic cell wall * Some causes diseases- e.g.: Cholera, typhoid,
B. A large number of organisms did not fall into either category. tetanus, citrus-canker

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Biology Instant Notes, for HSSLIVE . IN , by: M. M. Muhiyudeen, #- 9846 29 22 27
 Reproduction in Bacteria
Favourable Unfavourable
@ Diatoms: They are the chief ‘producers’ in the oceans.
Asexual Sexual Spores production - The cell wall deposits of diatoms over billions of years is referred
Binary fission DNA transfer to as ‘diatomaceous earth’.
→This is used in polishing, filtration of oils and syrups.

Mycoplasma / PPLO
Smallest cells without cell-wall, survive without O2, pathogenic.

KINGDOM PROTISTA
 Protists are unicellular eukaryotic organisms. It includes-
Protozoans
Character Chrysophytes Dinoflagellates Euglenoid Slime mould
Amoeboid Flagellated Ciliated Sporozoan
Fresh water,
Fresh water, Free-living
Habitat Mostly marine Fresh water - sea water or Aquatic Endoparasites
marine water or parasitic
moist soil
Diatoms have Colour varies Have a protein Under favourable Marine - - Have an
siliceous cell depending on the rich layer called condition forms have infectious
walls forming pigments present pellicle which They form an aggregation silica shells spore-like
2 thin in their cells. makes their called plasmodium. on their stage in their
overlapping body flexible surface life cycle
shells. The cell wall Under unfav. condition
has stiff cellulose Form fruiting bodies
plates on the bearing spores at their
Body outer surface. tips.

Photosynthetic,
heterotrophic
Nutrition Photosynthetic Photosynthetic Saprophytic Heterotrophic
(in the absence
of sunlight)
Cilia
2 flagella;
Locomotory Movement of
Absent One lies 2 flagella,
and food cilia causes the
(float longitudinally and A short and a -- Pseudopodia Flagella Absent
capturing water laden with
passively) the other long one
organ food to be steered
transversely.
into the gullet
Diatoms@, Trypanosoma
Gonyaulax (cause Plasmodium
Example Golden algae Euglena - Entomoeba (Cause sleeping Paramoecium
red tide) (Cause malaria)
(desmids) sickness)

KINGDOM FUNGI.  Some fungi live in symbiotic associations-

 Fungi are eukaryotic, multicellular, heterotrophic organisms with
chitinous cell wall.
 Fungi are filamentous, except yeast (unicellular). Fungi + algae = lichens Fungi + roots of higher plants
(mycorrhiza)
Fungal body is called mycelium. It consists of network of thread-
like structures called hyphae.
Steps of Sexual reproduction:
Plasmogamy Karyogamy Meiosis
Fusion of protoplasm Fusion of nucleus

Hyphae

Coenocytic / Aseptate Septate

Hyphae that are continuous tubes Hyphae having cross wall /
filled with multinucleated cytoplasm septa

Biology Instant Notes, for HSSLIVE . IN , by: M. M. Muhiyudeen, #- 9846 29 22 27

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 Kingdom fungi are divided into 4 classes:
Habitat / Morphology
Class Reproduction Example
Nutrition of mycelium
Asexual-By zoospores (motile) or
by aplanospores (non-motile).
Aquatic or on 1. Mucor
decaying wood Aseptate, Sexual –Zygospore 2. Rhizopus (breadmould)
Phycomycetes
-or as plant Coenocytic 3. Albugo (parasite on
parasites. mustard)

Asexual –By Conidia 1. Penicillium (source of

Produced exogenously on a mycelium called conidiophores. antibiotic)
2. Sacharomyces (Yeast- to
Saprophytic, make bread and beer)
decomposers, Sexual -Ascospores
Ascomycetes Branched, 3. Morels
parasitic or →Produced endogenously in sac like asci.
(Sac-fungi)
coprophilous
septate
Fruiting body- ascocarps.
4. Truffles Edible
(grow on dung). 5. Aspergillus
6. Claviceps
7. Neurospora (used in genetic
expt.)
Asexual-not found
Vegetative- by fragmentation
Sexual- Basidiospores (dikaryotic) 1. Bracket fungi
Grow in soil, on →Exogenously produced on the basidium. 2. Puffballs
tree stems and Branched, Fruiting body – basidiocarp
Basidiomycetes 3. Agaricus(mushroom)
in living plant septate
as parasites 4. Ustilago (smut)
Parasitic
5. Puccinia (rust)

Decomposers- Asexual -by Conidia 1. Alternaria,

Deuteromycetes Branched, Vegetative- by fragmentation
(Imperfect fungi)
Saprophytes or
septate
2. Colletotrichum
parasites. Sexual-not found
3. Trichoderma

VIRUSES, VIROIDS, PRIONS & Structure of Viruses-

It consists of a protein coat and a nucleic acid.
LICHENS 1. PROTEIN COAT
Viruses The protein coat (capsid) is made of subunits called capsomeres
➔ Viruses are nucleoprotein and obligate parasites Function: Protects the nucleic acid.
VIRUS 2. NUCLEIC ACID
The nucleic acid or genetic material is either RNA or DNA.
Outside a living cell: Inside a cell: Function: Cause infection.
Have an inert Infect a host cell
crystalline structure ↓ Virus infecting- Nucleic acid
Take over the machinery of the host Plant ssRNA
Animal ssRNA / dsRNA / dsDNA
Replicate Virus Kill the host Bacteria
dsDNA
(bacteriophages)
 Viral diseases- e.g: Mumps, Small pox, Herpes, Influenza, AIDS
Viroids – ‘Virus like’
➔ Viroids are infectious RNA.
Milestones in Virology  Discovered by T.O. Diener.
Year Scientist Contribution
Recognized ‘viruses’ as causal organism Prions
1892 Dmitri Ivanowsky ➔ Prions are abnormally folded proteins.
of the mosaic disease of tobacco.
The name virus (means venom or Diseases caused by prions- Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
poisonous fluid) was given (BSE) / mad cow disease, Cr-Jacob disease (CJD) in human
Called the extract of the infected tobacco Lichens
as Contagium vivum fluidum (infectious
➔ Lichens are symbiotic associations between algae and fungi.
living fluid).
1898 M.W. Beijerinek Component Role
Phycobiont- algal
- Gives food for fungi
component
Mycobiont- fungal - Provide shelter for algae
component - Absorb mineral nutrients and water
1935 W.M. Stanley Showed that viruses could be crystallized ❖ Lichens do not grow in polluted areas. So they act as a good
pollution indicators.
Biology Instant Notes, for HSSLIVE . IN , by: M. M. Muhiyudeen, #- 9846 29 22 27
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