CHAPTER 3:

BIODIVERSITY
3.1 ORGANISM AND THEIR
CLASSIFICATIONS
WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY?
 The wide variety of organisms on Earth is known
as biodiversity or biological diversity.

 The variety of organims can be classified using an

appropriate classification method.
 Classification of organims
 Sorting organisms into groups is called
classification.

 Classification of organism is usually done by

grouping organisms of different species which carry
the common characteristics.

 Animals are divided into 2 main groups: those with

backbones ( vertebrates) & those without
(invertebrates)
 Vertebrates Aspects Invertebrates
With backbones Presence of Without
backbones backbones
Main support is Body support Main support is
endoskeleton exoskeleton
which consist of (such as hard
bones. skin) & fluid
pressure
Fish, amphibians, Examples Insects, spiders,
reptiles, birds & crabs, prawns.
mammals Worms &
molluscs ( such
as snails)
1. AMPHIBIANS
 Cold blooded animals
 Can live both on land & in water
 Most amphibian adults live on land
 They return to water only to lay eggs
 The eggs are fertilised outside the female’s body (external
fertilisation)
 The young amphibians live in water & breathe through their gills
 The adults breathe with their lungs when on land & through their
skin when in water.
 The adults have loose & moist skin.
 Examples: frogs, toads (kodok), salamander, newts
(bengkarung)
2.FISH
 Have bodies that are well adapted for life under water
 Their skin is covered with hard & slimy scales (sisik
berlendir) for protection.
 They have fins & tails to swim.
 They absorb dissolved oxygen in the water through their gills.
 Most of them lay eggs that are fertilised outside their bodies.
 Fish are cold blooded animals
 This means that their body temperature changes with their
surrounding temperature.
 Examples: sharks(ikan yu), stingrays (ikan pari), eels (belut) ,
mackerels (ikan pelata)
3.BIRDS
 Only animals with feathers
 Have beaks & wings but not all of them can fly
 They breathe with their lungs
 Warm blooded animals
 This means that their body temperature remain
constant & does not change with the environment
 Their eggs, which are fertilised internally (internal
fertilisation) have hard shells & are laid in their nests.
 Examples: Kiwis, pigeons, eagles, parrots.
4. MAMMALS
 Most live on land except whales & dolphins
 Body is covered with hair or fur
 Skin has sweat glands
 Warm blooded
 Females have mammary glands to provide milk for young
 The females give birth to live young except platypus which
lay eggs
 Breathe through lungs
 Examples: human, monkeys, rabbit, dogs, cows, giraffe,
whales, bats
5. REPTILES
 Had dry & scaly skin
 Most lay eggs
 Cold blooded
 Most have 2 pairs of legs except snakes
 Breathe through lungs
 Examples: crocodiles, tortoises(penyu) , turtles,
lizards, snakes. Monitor lizards (biawak)
Invertebrates
CLASSIFICATION OF PLANTS
 Scientist classify plants into 2 big groups: flowering
plants & non-flowering plants.

1. Flowering plants:
-Flowers are reproductive organs of flowering plants
-Can be divided into 2 groups: monocotyledons &
dicotyledons (depending on the number of
cotyledons in the seeds)
-Cotyledons is the main seed leaf for the germination of
new seedlings.
2.Non-flowering plants
 Plants that do not produce flowers
 Need to reproduce by other means, for example,

through spores (spora)

 Can be divided into 4 groups

-Algae (alga)
-Mosses (lumut)
-Conifers (konifer)
-Ferns (paku pakis)
Is it important to maintain biodiversity?

 Biodiversity is important to maintain a balanced environment

1. Source of food
2. Source of materials
3. Source of medicine
4. Clean water
5. Air to breathe

 Several ways to protect endangered wildlife:

1. Setting up natural resources (menubuhkan hutan simpan)
2. Enforcing legislation (menguatkuasakan undang-undang)
3. Protecting the habitat of wildlife