Microbial Taxonomy (Week 3)
 Taxonomy is the way of
identifying different organisms,
classifying them into
categories, and naming them.
All organisms, both living and
extinct, are classified into
distinct groups with other similar
organisms and given a
scientific name.
 Hierarchical classification is one
way to help scientists
understand, categorize and
organize the diversity of life. In
this manner, it minimizes
confusion and provide reliable
means of identifying and
naming an organism.
Etymology of Taxonomy:
From a Greek word
 taxis - arrangement or
order
 nomos – law
 nemein - means to
distribute or govern)
Definition:
Taxonomy - the science of
biological classification. Taxa or
Taxon – a group or level of
classification or hierarchy
categorized at different levels
Systematics or phylogeny- the
study of diversity of organism and
their evolutionary relationship
Major Taxonomic Characteristics:
 Morphological characters
- General external and
internal morphology
- Special structures
- Embryology
- Karyology and other
cytological factors
 Physiological characters
-Metabolic Factors
-Bodily Secretions
-Genic Sterility Factors
 Geographic and
behavioral characters
 Molecular characters
-Immunological Distance
-Electrophoretic
Differences
-DNA hybridization
DNA-RNA sequence
 Ecological character
-Habitas
-Food
-Seasonal Variation
-Parasite and Host
 Microbial Taxonomy (Week 3)
Components of Taxonomy:
1. Classification- taxa are classify
based on the similarities in
phenotypic (phenetic)
characteristics which are expressed
in an organism and can be
examined visually or can be tested
by other means.
2. Nomenclature - branch of
taxonomy concerned with the
assignment of names to taxonomic
groups in agreement with
published rules.
3. Identification - the process of
determining a particular (organism)
belongs to a recognized taxon.
1. Classification
Types of Classification
a. Artificial System – share the same
characteristics but they are not
closely related to one another
genetically.
b. Natural System – with many of
the same characteristics and highly
predictive.
c. Phylogenetic (Phyletic) System –
classifying organism on the basis of
descent from a common ancestor
Methods of Classification:
1. Phenotypic (Phenetic)
Classification System:
-Groups do not necessarily reflect
genetic similarity or evolutionary
relatedness. Instead, groups are
based on convenient, observable
characteristics.
e.g. morphology, motility,
metabolism, cell chemistry,
physiologic, biochemical,
pathogenicity, antibiotic sensitivity,
serological.
2. Genotypic Classification System
- considers characteristics of the
genome
e.g. 16S rRNA, DNA base content
(G-C ratio), DNA–DNA
hybridization, DNA
fingerprinting,MLST, RFLP, REP-PCR,
Ribotyping, genome analyses.
Classification
I. Family
• encompasses a group of
organisms that may contain
multiple genera and consists of
organisms with a common
attribute.
II. Genus
• Grouping similar genera into
common families and similar
families into common orders is used
 Microbial Taxonomy (Week 3)
for classification of plants and
animals, higher taxa designations
are not useful for classifying
bacteria. (i.e., division, class, and
order)
III. Species
• population or groups of
populations that can potentially
interbreed freely within and among
themselves.
• collection of bacterial strains that
share common physiologic and
genetic features and differ notably
from other microbial species.
A. Subspecies are taxonomic
subgroups within a species.
Biotype - a group of organisms
having the same or nearly the
same genotype
Serotype - a group of organisms
within a species that have the
same type and number of surface
antigens.
Genotype may be given to groups
below the subspecies level that
share specific but relatively minor
characteristics.
B. Clone is a population of cells
derived from a single parent cell
and identical
C. Strain - came from pure cultures
of the same species are not
identical in all ways.
Types of Strains:
a. Serovar - a strain differentiated
by serological means. Strains vary in
their antigenic properties
b. Biovar (biotype) - strains that are
differentiated by biochemical or
other non-serological means.
c. Morphovar (morphotype) - a
strain which is differentiated on the
basis of morphological distinctions.
d. Isolate - a pure culture derived
from a heterogeneous, wild
population of microorganisms. The
term isolate is also applicable to
eukaryotic microorganisms as well
as to viruses.
2. Nomenclature
- rules governing microbial
nomenclature is limited to two taxa
known as binomial nomenclature.
-Carolus Linnaeus introduced a
formal system of classification
dividing living organisms into two
kingdoms— Plantae and Animalia.
- Every organism is assigned a
genus and a species of Latin or
Greek derivation by the addition of
the appropriate suffix.
- naming of microorganisms
according to established rules and
guidelines set
 Microbial Taxonomy (Week 3)

forth in the International Code of Components of Taxonomy

Nomenclature of Bacteria (ICNB) or
the Bacteriological Code (BC). 3. Identification

- The taxonomic classification - the process by which a

scheme for prokaryotes is found in
Bergey’s Manual of Systematic
Bacteriology.
Systematic Name
- Each organism assigned to two
names, genus and species are
known as binomial nomenclature.
- Suffixes for order and family are
written as -ales and –aceae
microorganism’s key features are
delineated.
Identification method:
a. Genotypic characteristics -
relate to an organism’s genetic
makeup, including the nature of
the organism’s genes and
constituent nucleic acids.
e.g. hair color, height

e.g. Streptococcaceae family type b. Phenotypic characteristics - are

genus is Streptococcus based on features beyond the
genetic level, including both
- The genus and specific epithet readily observable characteristics
(species), both names are printed and features that may require
underlined or italicized. extensive analytic procedures to
be detected.
e.g. Streptococcus pyogenes
e.g. skin color
- The genus name is always
capitalized in first letter and is
always a noun. The species name is
lowercase in first letter and is usually
an adjective.

e.g. Klebsiella pneumoniae

- The name may be abbreviated

by using the uppercase form of the
first letter of the genus designation
followed by a period (.) and the full
species name, which is never
abbreviated.

e.g. S. aureus