Diversity Of Life

Biologists have examined and described more than 1.8 million species of living things. There
are many more to be discovered.
Aristotle- a Greek Philosopher(1384-322BC) first made an attempt to classify living
organisms. A new system of classification was used by a Swedish Naturalist- Carolous
Linnaeus(1707-1778).
The study of the general principles of classification is known as Taxonomy or Systematic.
Hierarchy Of Living Things
The largest group of organisms is the kingdom. Each kingdom is split into smaller groups. The
hierarchy of classification includes:
i. Kingdom
ii. Phylum(Animal)/Division(Plants)
iii. Class
iv. Family
v. Genus
vi. Species.
Sometimes, intermediate levels are added. These are usually identified by prefixes such as sub,
super eg Subphylum and superclass
Organisms in a genus however, are very similar. Species is the last link of classification.
Organisms at the species level are identical and are capable of producing fertile offsprings
through breeding.
Kingdoms: The largest group of organisms is the kingdom. This includes:
i. Kingdom Monera
ii. Kingdom Protista
iii. Kingdom Fungi
iv. Kingdom Plantae
v. Kingdom Animalia
Example: Maize Plant
Kingdom Plantae All Plants
Division Tracheophyta Vascular Plants(Have conducting vessel)
Superclass Spermatophyta Seed producing Plant
Class Angiospermae Flowering Plants
Subclass Monocotyledonae Having one- seed leaf
Order Graminales Grasses, leaves with sheathing leaf blade
and inflorescence of spikelets
Family Graminacae Cereals Millets , Bamboo, grasses
Genus Zea Maize plant, female inflorescence develops
into cobs

Species mays Cultivated maize plants.

African Elephant
Kingdom Animalia All Animals
Phylum Chordata All animals with notochords
Subphylum Vertebrata Animals with backbones
Class Mammalia Animals with hair
Order Proboscida Large animals with flexible trunks
Family Elephantidae Elephants found in Asia and Africa
Genus Loxodonta Elephants found in Africa
Human
Species Being Africana Africa Elephant

Kingdom Animalia All Animals

Phylum Chordata Animals with a notochord
Subphylum Vertebrata Animals with a backbone
Class Mammalia Animals with hair
Order Primate Mammals with grasping hands and feet
Family Hominidae Ape-man, primitive man, modern man
Genus Homo Primitive man and modern man
Species Sapiens Modern Man
Viruses:
Viruses are not included in the five kingdoms because it is extremely
small and considered as living and non-living things. Viruses do not have
cell structure but it is just made up of a coiled strand of nucleic acid
enclosed within the protein coat.

Virus as a living thing

i. Virus can reproduce(replication of genes) when present in another
cell
ii. It possesses characteristics that can be transmitted from generation
to another
Virus as a non-living thing
iii. Virus forms crystals outside living cells
iv. Virus can’t respire, excrete, eat, and can’t respond to stimuli
Kingdom Monera
The monerans are composed of very simple cells which do not have true nuclei. They
are called procaryotes because they lack membrane-bound organelles.
Characteristics of Monerans
i. They are unicellular or single-celled organism
ii. The cells are procaryotic(cell that lacks membrane-bound organelles)
iii. No definite nucleus
iv. Presence of cell wall made of polysaccharide and amino acid (peptidoglycan)
v. They may be motile or non-motile
Two phyla are known:
a. Schizophyta eg Bacteria(plural), Bacterium(singular)
b. Cyanophyta eg Nostoc and Oscillatoria
 Kingdom Protista/Protoctista
Charateristics:
i. They are unicellular( one cell)
ii. The organisms are eucaryotic(possess cells with membrane-bound organelles)
iii. Some are motile while others are non motile
iv. They move with the aid of cilia(paramecium), flagella(Euglena), pseudopodia(amoeba).
v. Some are autotrophes(chemosynthesis) while others are heterotrophes(taking in ready-made food).
vi. Mode of reproduction is asexual(mitosis) and sexual(fusion of gametes)
There are four phyla in this kingdom
a. Protozoa eg Amoeba, Paramecium, trophozoite(malaria parasite)
b. Euglenophyta (Plant-like and animal-like) eg Euglena
c. Chrysophta eg golden algae
d. Protophyta (Plant-like) eg Chlamydomonas, Chlorella and Diatom
Euglenophyta(Euglena)
Animal-like characteristics of Euglena
i. Possession of flagellium for movement
ii. Possession of gullet for passage of food and as reservoir
iii. Possession of contractile vacuole for Osmo-regulation
iv. Presence of eyespot to enable it detects sunlight
v. Possession of pellicles which makes its body flexible
Plant-like Characteristics of Euglena
vi. Possession of chloroplast which enables it to carryout photosynthesis
vii. Possession of pyrenoid where starch is stored
viii. Possession of paramylum granules granules
Kingdom Fungi
The fungi were for a long time classified with plants. They however, differ from plants
in the composition of their cell walls. Most of their cell walls are made up of chitin
rather than cellulose.
i. They are eucaryotes(cell with membrane-bound organelles)
ii. Some are unicellular eg yeast, while others are multicellular eg mushroom
iii. They are mainly non-motile except slime mould
iv. They have no true roots, stem and leaf
v. They are not plant ie they lack chloroplast
vi. They are mainly saprophyte while others are parasites
vii. They store food in the form of glycogen
viii. Cell walls are made up of chitin instead of cellulose
ix. Reproduction is asexual(spore formation and sexual(Conjugation)
x. Examples are Rhizopus, Mushroom, Yeast, toadstool,
Three classes are known:
xi. Zygomycota eg Rhizopus
xii. Basidiomycota eg Mushroom, toadstool
xiii. Ascomycota eg Aspergillus, Penicillum and Yeast