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Classification Notes

The document outlines the seven characteristics of living organisms, including nutrition, respiration, movement, excretion, growth, reproduction, and sensitivity. It also explains scientific nomenclature, particularly the binomial nomenclature system developed by Carl Linnaeus, which provides a standardized naming convention for species. Additionally, the document discusses biological classification and the hierarchy of organizing living organisms, along with specific characteristics of various kingdoms such as Monera, Protista, Fungi, and the five classes of animals.

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Kiara Jain
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2 views

Classification Notes

The document outlines the seven characteristics of living organisms, including nutrition, respiration, movement, excretion, growth, reproduction, and sensitivity. It also explains scientific nomenclature, particularly the binomial nomenclature system developed by Carl Linnaeus, which provides a standardized naming convention for species. Additionally, the document discusses biological classification and the hierarchy of organizing living organisms, along with specific characteristics of various kingdoms such as Monera, Protista, Fungi, and the five classes of animals.

Uploaded by

Kiara Jain
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Notes- Characteristics of living things and Classification

Characteristics of living things There are seven activities which make organisms different
from non-living things. These are the seven characteristics of living organisms.
1 Nutrition -Living things take in materials from their surroundings that they use for
growth or to provide energy. Nutrition is the process by which organisms obtain energy
and raw materials from nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
2 Respiration- Respiration is the release of energy from food substances in all living
cells. Living things break down food within their cells to release energy for carrying out
the following processes.
3 Movement- All living things move. It is very obvious that a leopard moves but what
about the thorn tree it sits in? Plants too move in various different ways. The movement
may be so slow that it is very difficult to see.
4 Excretion- All living things excrete. As a result of the many chemical reactions
occurring in cells, they have to get rid of waste products which might poison the cells.
Excretion is defined as the removal of toxic materials, the waste products of metabolism
and substances in excess from the body of an organism.
5 Growth- Growth is seen in all living things. It involves using food to produce new
cells. The permanent increase in cell number and size is called growth.
6 Reproduction -All living organisms have the ability to produce offspring.
7 Sensitivity- All living things are able to sense and respond to stimuli around them
such as light, temperature, water, gravity and chemical substances.

What is Scientific Nomenclature?


Nomenclature or scientific nomenclature is the identity (name) of organisms. Without a
proper nomenclature system, it is difficult to recognize where the organisms belong in
the ecosystem. Nomenclature makes it possible to remember a particular organism by
one or two words.
Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish Botanist gave the Binomial Nomenclature system to name
plants and animals. Binomial Nomenclature is a Latin word meaning two naming
systems.
Binomial nomenclature is required in biology to unify the naming system throughout life
sciences and, as a result, offer a single unique name identifier for a species across
languages. Binomial Nomenclature is a systematic procedure for designating species.
This system is universally accepted, creates no confusion as each organism gets a
unique name, and is easier to remember and understand.
Rules of Writing a Scientific Name

Binomial terminology divides a species' scientific name into two parts: the generic name
and the specific name (species).
A genus is a level of categorization in the classification system that is usually below the
family and above the species level.
A species is a group of organisms that consist of similar individuals capable of
interbreeding and can produce a fertile offspirng.
While writing the scientific name there are certain rules to be followed which are
mentioned below.
• While writing a scientific name, the genus of the organism comes first followed by
the species.
For example - Genus - Homo
Species - sapiens
• While typing a scientific name, it is always typed in Italics and if it is handwritten,
it is always underlined.1
• The genus name is capitalizedz followed by the species name which is in lower
case.

• Italicized: When typed, the names are italicized, and when handwritten, they are
underlined.
• Latin: Scientific names are usually in Latin.
Examples:
Dog- Canis familiaris
Tiger- Panthera Tigris
Mango- Mangifera indica
Onion- Allium cepa

What is Classification?

Based on their similarities and differences, living organisms are arranged into different
groups and subgroups, which is termed classification of living organisms. This scientific
process of classification is termed biological classification.

Science that deals with the classification and nomenclature of all living organisms are
termed as Taxonomy. Here, the classification is based on general, physical, genetic and
biochemical variations.

The level of hierarchy in the system of classifying organisms is:

Kingdom

Phylum

Class

Order

Family

Genus
Species

These biological classifications have several advantages. Following are the advantages of
classifying organisms:

With the process of biological classification, today we can:

1. Understand the evolution of organisms.


2. Classify organisms based on their features.
3. Study various kinds of organisms both present and extinct.
4. Describes the inter-relationship among the various organisms.
5. Discover how animals, plants and other living species are related and are useful
for human welfare.

Monera

The kingdom Monera of the five-classification system categorizes bacteria underneath


it has the following characteristics:

1. It contains all microscopic living organisms.


2. Kingdom Monera groups the prokaryotes together.
3. They are single-celled organisms with an absence of a well-defined nucleus.
4. The mode of nutrition of monerans can be either autotrophic or heterotrophic.

Based on their shape, bacteria are divided into four categories- cocci, bacilli, spirilla,
and vibrio.

Protista

The general characteristics:

1. The cell type of the Protists is eukaryotic.


2. The organisms under Protista are unicellular.
3. These organisms usually use cilia, flagella, or amoeboid movement to move.
4. It has both autotrophs and heterotrophs.
5. The presence of a nuclear membrane marks the kingdom.
6. Some Protists have cell walls.

Examples: Amoeba, euglena, paramecium

Fungi

General characteristics of Fungi are:

1. The kingdom contains eukaryotes.


2. Fungi consist of heterotrophs, which can be parasitic or saprophytes.
3. Few fungi are unicellular e.g. Yeast, few are multicellular e.g., mushroom

Heterotrophs are organisms that cannot make their own food and instead get
nutrients and energy from other sources, like plants or animals.

Parasites a plant or an animal that lives in or on another plant or animal and gets
its food from it. Parasites sometimes cause dis

ease

Saprophytes are living organisms that feed on dead organic matter.


1. Fish
• Body covered in moist scales
• Has fins to swim and gills for gas-exchange
• Lays eggs in large amounts (eggs are soft with no shells)
Examples: Garfish, Oscar
2. Amphibians
• Moist, smooth and non scaly skin.
• Some can camouflage e.g.
• Young live in water & have gills & adults live on land & have lungs
• Have 4 limbs
• Lays soft non shelly eggs in the water
• Has an ear drum
Examples: frog, salamander
3. Reptiles
• Covered in dry scaley skin to prevent water loss
• 4 limbs (except snakes)
• Lay water proof eggs with hard shells on land
Examples: Lizard, Turtle
4. Birds
• Body covered in feathers
• Beak for feeding
• 2 limbs and 2 wings
• Lays water proof hard shell eggs
Example: Parrot, penguin
5. Mammals
• Body covered in hair
• 4 limbs
• Breath through lungs
• Milk from mammary glands and directly give birth to their young one.
• External ear pinna

Example: Human, Dogs, Lion

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