SELF-LEARNING HOME TASK (SLHT)

Subject SCIENCE Grade 8 Level JHS Quarter 4 Week 4.2

MELC: classify organisms using the hierarchical taxonomic system. (S8LT-IV-20)

Objectives: K: Determine the categories of classifying organisms

S: Classify organisms using the hierarchical taxonomic system
A: Recognize the importance of classifying organisms using the hierarchical
taxonomic system.

Name __________________________ Section ________ Date ________

School _________________________ District __________________________

A. Readings/Discussions/Illustrations

LESSON 2 : TAXONOMY AND ITS COMPONENTS

Biological classification is therefore primarily for the convenience of those who compile information about the
numerous organisms on this planet as well as those who look for such information. Before biologists can classify
organisms, however, they must assign a name to each of them. The name provides the key to a whole set of
information compiled about the organism.

Why do we use scientific names?

How do we classify organism?
We can classify organisms into the categories from the highest level down to the lowest level based on
the taxon to which they belong. The so – called “levels of classification” refer to the categories:

A. Domain refers to the largest of all groups in the classification of life. There are currently 3 agreed
groups at this level, the Archaea domain, Bacteria domain, and Eukarya domain. Each domain
contains a collection of organisms with similar properties and evolutionary histories, as scientists
have organized them.

B. In biology, kingdom is a taxonomic rank that is composed of smaller groups called phyla or
 divisions, in plant Organisms are placed into these categories based on similarities or common
characteristics. Some of the characteristics that are used to determine placement are cell type,
nutrient acquisition, and reproduction. The two main cell types are prokaryotic and eukaryotic
cells. Common types of nutrient acquisition include photosynthesis, absorption, and ingestion.
Types of reproduction include asexual reproduction and sexual reproduction.

C. Phylum is a taxonomic ranking that comes third in the hierarchy of classification,after domain
and kingdom. Organisms in a phylum share a set a characteristics that distinguishes them from
organisms in another phylum. The qualities that group animals into a phylum have changed
throughout scientific history, as better methods have arisen to determine how groups of animals
are related.

D. Class is a taxonomic group comprised of organisms that share a common attribute. It is further
divided into one or more orders. In biological classification of organisms, a class is a major
taxonomic rank below the phylum (or division) and above the order. For example, class
Mammalia belongs to phylum Chordata. Class Mammalia is comprised of various orders such as
Chiroptera (bats), Primates (apes)

E. Order a taxonomic rank used in classifying organisms generally below the class and comprised of
families sharing a set of similar nature of character. For instance, class mammalia includes order
Chriptera (bats) Order Primate (primates, and order Carnivora (meat eating mammals)

F. Family - A taxonomic group of one or more genera, especially sharing a common attribute.
Organisms belonging to the same family would have evolved from the same ancestors and share
relatively common characteristics.

G. Biological genus is defined as a taxonomic rank comprised of species with common attributes. It
includes group(s) of species that are structurally similar or phylogenetically related. The term
genus was borrowed from Latin. It means “birth”, descent, “origin”, “sort”, or “type”. The plural
form is genera. Thus, the meaning of genera pertains to more than one genus as most taxonomic
families are comprised of several genera.

H. Species is the most basic unit or category in the biological classification of organisms, it tells us
that a species is an individual capable of mating with another of the same kind to produce fertile
offspring. Based on this principle, individuals at the species level must not only be capable of
mating with one another but they must also be capable of producing fertile offspring. This could
be limiting if one would consider prehistoric and already extinct organisms.
Who was the person behind all of these?

Carolus Linnaeus (or Carl von Linné) was born on May 23 1707, and died on January 10 1778. He was a Swedish
scientist who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of taxonomy. As a boy Linnaeus was to be groomed for
life as a churchman, as his father and maternal grandfather were, but he showed little enthusiasm for the
profession. His interest in botany, though, impressed a physician from his town and he was sent to study at the
university of Lund, transferring to Uppsala after a year. During this time Linnaeus became convinced that in the
stamens and pistils of flowers lay the basis for the classification of plants, and he wrote a short work on the
subject that earned him the postion of adjunct professor. In 1732 the Academy of Sciences at Uppsala financed
his expedition to explore Lapland, then virtually unknown. The result of this was the Flora Laponica published in
1737.Thereafter Linnaeus moved to the continent. While in the Netherlands he met Jan Frederik Gronovius and
showed him a draft of his work on taxonomy, the Systema Naturae . In it, the unwieldy descriptions used
previously - physalis amno ramosissime ramis angulosis glabris foliis dentoserratis - were replaced by the concise
and now familiar genus-species names - Physalis angulata - and higher taxa were constructed in a simple and
orderly manner.
 B. EXERCISES

B.DIRECTIONS: Refer to Biology Books and surf the internet to complete the table by filling in the blanks with
the correct terms. Copy and answer the table ON A SHORT BOND PAPER.

C. ASSESSMENT
DIRECTIONS: Give the answer to the following question.
1. Name the 8 classification of organisms in Order. (8pts)
2. Name at least 2 works of taxonomy. (2pts)
Prepared by:

KATHERINE V. AUDIENCIA
Science 8 – Teacher
Santander NHS