Chapter 2.

Classification of
Living
Organisms
 The science of placing organisms
Classification into categories on the basis of
their observable characteristics
Why we should
classify living
organisms?

• Makes it easear to study organisms

• Knowing the biodiversity
• Knowing relationships between various organisms
• Recognizing the interdependence between
organisms
• Knowing the role of organisms for human life
• Makes it easier to conserve organisms
 Taxonomist place organisms into groups by asking a series of
Classificatio questions about their characteristics which is called a
CLASSIFICATION KEY
n
is a part of

Taxonomy
The branch of biology that classifies and
names living things/organisms

1 Does the organism have cells with a YES Go to question 2

Peolpe who study taxonomy is called definite nucleus? NO It is a prokaryoe

Taxonomist This kind of key, with only

2 Is the organism made up of many
different cells?
YES
NO
Go to question 3
It is a protoctostan

two answers to each 3 Is organism a heterotroph YES

NO
Go to question 4
It is plant
question (YES or NO), is 4 Does the organism have cell walls and YES It is a fungus
called a DICHOTOMOUS KEY does it feed by external digestion NO It is an animal
 BINOMIAL
NOMENCLATURE
What animal is this ???
Swahilian : This is a Lion Japanese :
Hapana, ni simba Īe, soreha raiondesu

Spaniard :
Swedish :
No, es un león
nej, det är ett lejon

Indonesian :
Arabian :
Bukan, itu singa
la , 'iinah 'asad

Biologist all around the world : ok, this is

Panthera leo
 BINOMIAL
NOMENCLATURE
Naming of species by using two
:
name consisted of
Genus name and species name Because two name used for
naming of species, it is called as

BINOMIAL
consisted of (bi = two , nomen = name)
two name
Genus + species Introduced by Swedish Biologist

Panthera leo
Carolus Linnaeus

CAPITALIZED using LATIN WORD

first letter or LATINIZED word
of genus name written in ITALIC
or UNDERLINED
Panthera leo
BINOMIAL NOMENCLATURE

Lactobacillus casei
Auricularia auricula

Pongo pygmaeus

Rafflesia arnoldii Vorticella campanula

 Hierarchy of
classification
The sequence of Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus and Species
 Hierarchy of
Kingdom,classification
Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus and Species is called a
TAXON

More similar characteristic More taxon member

SYSTEM OF CLASSIFICATION
1. Prokaryote / MONERA
THE FIVE KINGDOMS 2. Protoctistans / PROTISTA
The system that divides organisms into 3. Plants / PLANTAE
five major groups. It’s proposed by 4. Fungus / FUNGI
American Biologist Robert Whittaker 5. Animals / ANIMALIA

PROKARYOTE

PROTOCTISTANS

PLANTS

FUNGUS ANIMALS

Source: https://www.iberdrola.com/
SYSTEM OF CLASSIFICATION
Robert Whittaker with his 5 Kingdom, is not only person who
proposed the system of classification, here is the brief history
of system of classification proposed by biologists.
Not recognized
yet
THANK YOU