Taxonomy and Simple
Organisms
Taxonomy
• Taxonomy- Discipline of classifying
organisms and assigning each organism a
universally accepted name.
• Why classify?
Classification makes life easier.
• What are some ways we classify?
How are vehicles classified?
Retrieved November 6, 2012 from: http://o.aolcdn.com/commerce/images/mercedes_11eclasscoupe_angularfront_Regular.jpg
Retrieved November 6, 2012 from: http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTIg1DsLISn7HK76i5p5CtpFIEddog5eflUh_Tu0SMmUyE9Fr7bPlRLXHHM
Retrieved November 6, 2012 from: http://images.dealer.com/autodata/us/320/color/2012/USC20TOC251A0/8T7.jpg
Retrieved November 6, 2012 from: http://paris-airport-shuttle.discoverfrance.net/Images/Fleet/VW_Transporter/minivan_turq_3q_view-lg.jpg
Retrieved November 6, 2012 from: http://www.kimballstock.com/pix/AUT/14/AUT-14-IZ0133-01P.JPG
Retrieved November 6, 2012 from: http://www.kucuu.com/thumb/918cb7f54bd9fe7c9e8cc31c74dadf68.jpg
Just as cars are classified based on their brand, make,
model, and color; plants and animals are classified into different
categories based on similarities of structure and evolutionary history.
Brand: Chevrolet
Make: Silverado
Model: 2500hd
Color: White
Retrieved November 6, 2012 from: http://www.kimballstock.com/pix/AUT/14/AUT-14IZ0133-01P.JPG
How do we classify?
When taxonomists classify organisms, they organize
them into groups that have biological significance
and in a logical manner
•
•
•
•
•
What is this first organism?
How does this second organism relate to the first?
And the third?
And the fourth?
All of these organisms are known as birds. When we hear
the word bird, we immediately form a mental picture in our
minds of what birds look like.
Assigning Scientific Names
1. Using common names is
confusing because many
organisms may have several
different common names.
2. The cougar is also known as
the mountain lion, puma or
catamount…thus the need
for a scientific name.
3. We use Binomial
Nomenclature to assign
scientific names
Felis concolor
Binomial Nomenclature
• Two-word naming system
• Carolus Linnaeus developed this
system
• 2 different organisms cannot have
the same scientific name
Importance?
• Provides a standard for
communication among biologists,
regardless of their native language
How to assign a scientific name
First Word:
Genus• The first part of the scientific
name is the genus.
• This word is always written
first and the first letter is
capitalized.
• It appears in italics or is
underlined.
Homo sapien
Ursus arctos
How to Assign a Scientific Name
Second Word
Species
• The second part of the
scientific name is the
species name.
• This word is always
written second and the
first letter is lower-case.
• It appears in italics or is
underlined.
Homo sapien
Ursus arctos
What do
these all
have in
common?
Helix pomatia
Vespula germanica
Capitalized
&
Italicized
Carcharodon carcharias
Crocodylus acutus
When Written:
What do these all have in
common?
Capitalized 
underlined
Capitalized 
Capitalized 
Capitalized 
underlined
underline
underlined
Hierarchical Classification
There are 8 levels to the hierarchical system
largest :
Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
smallest:
Scientific
Name
Genus
Species
Mnemonic
(Dear King Phillip Came Over For Grape Soda)
Did
King
Philip
Come
Over
For
Great
Spaghetti?
=Domain
=Kingdom
=Phylum
=Class
=Order
=Family
=Genus
=Species
Make your own mnemonic
& share with the class!
Retrieved November 7, 2012 from:
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcStUGGM6A4zpDe9XdIYi5YPTQrwXChoO9OE7t1jc
kDACHcO3xMu
Retrieved November 7, 2012 from:
Galaxy
Planet
Country
State
County
Think of it like
where you live
City
Street
Name
House #
Which has more
diversity/variety?
LINNAEUS’S SYSTEM OF
CLASSIFICATION
4. The more taxonomic
levels that two
organisms share, the
more closely related
they are
LINNAEUS’S SYSTEM OF
CLASSIFICATION
What do the scientific names of the polar,
grizzly and panda bears tell you about
their similarity to each other?
Ursus maritimus
Ursus arctos
Pictures reproduced with permission from WWF. © 2004 WWFWorld Wide Fund For Nature (Formerly World Wildlife Fund). All
Rights Reserved. www.panda.org.
Ailuropoda
melanoleuca
THINKING CRITICALLY
Organism
Cat
Wolf
Fly
Kingdom
Animalia
Animalia
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Chordata
Arthropoda
Class
Mammalia
Mammalia
Insecta
Order
Carnivora
Carnivora
Diptera
Family
Felidae
Canidae
Muscidae
Genus
Felis
Canis
Musca
F. domesticus
C. lupus
M. domestica
Species
THINKING CRITICALLY
Using the chart on the next
slide and your notes
1. What type of animal is Animal; insect
Musca domestica?
2. From the table, which 2 Cat and Wolf
animals are most closely
related?
3. At what classification
Family Level
level does the
evolutionary relationship
between cats and wolves
diverge (become
different)?
Let’s Start Classifying!
To begin classifying we decide if an organism is a
prokaryote or eukaryote:
Prokaryotes- Bacteria. They do not have a nucleus
or membrane bound organelles
- The ONLY examples of prokaryotes are bacteria
- The two basic kinds of bacteria are
archaebacteria and eubacteria
Eukaryotes- cells have a nucleus and organelles
- They are the Protists, Fungi, Plants and Animals
Domains
• If it is prokaryote it is a part of either:
– Domain Archaea
OR
– Domain Bacteria
• If it is a eukaryote it is a part of:
– Domain Eukarya
Kingdoms
• Once you determine the Domain, you can
determine the Kingdom
• There are 6 Kingdoms:
Domain
“Archaea”
Domain
“Bacteria”
Domain
“Eukarya”
(prokaryotes)
(prokaryotes)
(eukaryotes)
Archaebacteria
Eubacteria
Protista
Fungi
Plantae
Animalia
Cladograms
Classification using Cladograms
Cladograms are diagrams that show the
evolutionary relationships among a group of
organisms.
The cladogram on the next slide shows the
evolutionary relationship among several
vertebrates.
Lizard
Fish
Hagfish
Frog
Pigeon
Mouse
Chimp
Feathers
CLADOGRAM
Claws
Lungs or Nails
Fur &
Mammary
Glands
Jaws
The characteristics listed below the line are called
derived characters (traits).
Organisms above the trait HAVE the trait.
Organisms below the trait DO NOT have the trait.
What traits do frogs have based on the
Cladogram?
Simple Organisms
• Simple organisms are usually small organisms
that are not structurally complicated (don’t
have organs or organ systems)
– Most are unicellular
• Examples- Bacteria, Protists and Fungi
Bacteria
Archaebacteria
Eubacteria
Domain: Archae
Kingdom :
Archaebacteria
Domain: Bacteria
Kingdom:
Eubacteria
“Ancient Bacteria”
“True Bacteria:
Prokaryotic
Prokaryotic
Unicellular
Unicellular
Most are
Chemotrophic
Most are
Heterotrophic
Reproduce
Asexually or
Sexually
Reproduce
Asexually or
Sexually
Important Factoid:
Live in harsh
environments
Important Factoid:
Some are
Decomposers, some
helpful, some
Protist
Fungi
Bacteria
•
•
•
•
Bacteria are:
One of the earliest life forms
Microscopic (very, very small)
Found everywhere- inside your body, inside
volcanoes, on your pencil- EVERYWHERE!
Two Types of Bacteria
1. Archaebacteria (“ancient”)
Domain: Archaea
Kingdom:Archaebacteria
1. Prokaryotic
2. Most are CHEMOTROPHS some are Autotrophs
3. Cell walls with WITHOUT peptidoglycan
4. Found in harsh environments (very hot, salty or acidic)
5. Examples:
Methanogens- don’t need oxygen (anaerobic), make methane gas
Thermophiles- very hot water
Halophiles- very salty conditions, (10x saltier than ocean water)
Archaebacteria are usually found only in VERY harsh environments…
Finding Archaea : The hot springs of Yellowstone National Park,
USA, were among the first places Archaea were discovered. At
left is Octpus Spring, and at right is Obsidian Pool. Each pool
has slightly different mineral content, temperature, salinity, etc.,
so different pools may contain different communities of
archaeans and other microbes. The biologists pictured above are
immersing microscope slides in the boiling pool onto which some
archaeans might be captured for study.
The different colors are produced by
different kinds of Archaebacteria
Two Types of Bacteria
2. Eubacteria (“true”)
Domain: Eubacteria
Kingdom:Eubactiera
1.
Prokaryotic
2.
Most are HETEROTROPHS (decomposers), some are
Autotrophs
3.
Cell walls WITH Peptidoglycan
4.
Found everywhere
5.
Examples:
Escericia coli, Clostridium botulinum, Bacillus antracis
6.
Many have flagella that aid in movement
7.
Largest and most diverse of the bacterial kingdoms
There are many different kinds and shapes
of Eubacteria. They are found everywhere
in nature.
Characteristics
1. Prokaryotic
• What does it mean to be prokaryotic?
Word parts
Pro:
Karyote:
before
nucleus
• Does NOT have a _______________
Characteristics
2. Structures:
• Do NOT have membrane bound organelles
(like mitochondria, ER, Golgi)
• But they DO have _______________ “free
floating”
STRUCTURE
FUNCTION
Cell Wall
protects the cell and gives shape- may contain peptidoglycan
Cell Membrane
regulates movement of materials into and out of the cell;
Cytoplasm
Flagellum
contains DNA, ribosomes, and organic compounds required to carry out
life processes
moves the cell
Ribosomes
Makes proteins
DNA
carries genetic information inherited from past generations
Plasmid
Additional ring of DNA that contains some genes used for genetic
engineering
protects the cell against harsh environmental conditions, such as heat
or drought
Endospore or
Capsid
Pilus (Pili)
assist the cell in attaching to other surfaces, which is important for
reproducing
Plasmid
DNA
Ribosome
Flagella
Label:
- Capsid
-Cell Wall
-Cell Membrane
--Plasmid
Capsid
Cell Membrane
Pili
Cell Wall
-DNA
-Flagella
-Pili
-DNA
-Ribosome
Bacteria Characteristics
3. Reproduction
Most bacteria reproduce through
binary fission.
(Dividing in half; identical offspring)
Some reproduce by connecting at
their pili (cell to cell contact)
- Conjugation: a bacterium passes
DNA to a second bacterium
through a tube that temporarily
joins two cells
Which do you think is sexual reproduction?
Which do you think is asexual reproduction?
4. Bacteria are classified by cell shape: (3 types)
Cocci (round)
Label on your notes:
Bacillus (rod)
Spirillum (spiral)
What shapes are these??
4. Classified by structure/arrangement:
-Strepto
-in lines, strips or chains
-Staphylo
- in clusters
Example:
If your doctor said you had
Strep throat
(“Streptococcus”), what
would shape and
arrangement of the
bacteria look like under
the microscope?
Ans: Round bacteria in a
line, strip or chain
Example:
If your doctor said you had
a staph infection
(“Staphylococcus”), what
would shape and
arrangement of the
bacteria look like under
the microscope?
Ans: Round bacteria in
clusters
5. Nutrition
Autotrophs- convert light energy to chemical
energy through photosynthesis
- Example: Cyanobacteria
Heterotrophs- convert food into energy by
consuming another organisms
- Example specific to bacteria: Decomposers
*most bacteria are heterotrophic decomposers
Chemotrophs – convert certain chemicals to
energy
- Example: Halophiles
Some Bacteria are harmful
- cause disease:
• food poisoning
• anthrax
• Tuberculosis
• strep throat
• Pink eye
• Chlamydia
• Gonorrhea
- these bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics
Some Bacteria are beneficial
•
•
•
•
•
•
clean oil spills
make food (cheese, the probiotics in yogart)
clean sewage water
make medicines
make plastics
Aid in the nitrogen cycle (nitrogen fixing
bacteria)
Bacteria in Bodies
Bacteria, such as less harmful
strains of Neisseria, are in our nose.
They block bad pathogens from
colonizing, that would otherwise
cause infection.
In our colon, we have bacteria
that breakdown indigestible
parts of our food, and provide
vitamins K & B12. This is helpful
to our bodies.
E. coli normally lives inside your
intestines, where it helps your body
break down and digest the food
you eat, and it takes up space so
other bad things don’t take up that
space.
Protista
Archaebacteria
Eubacteria
Protist
Domain: Archae
Kingdom :
Archaebacteria
Domain: Bacteria
Kingdom: Eubacteria
Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Protista
“Ancient Bacteria”
“True Bacteria:
“Junk Drawer”
Prokaryotic
Prokaryotic
Eukaryotic
Unicellular
Unicellular
Both Uni &
Multicellular
Most are
Chemotrophic
Most are
Heterotrophic
Both Autotrophic and
Heterotrophic
Reproduce
Asexually or
Sexually
Reproduce Asexually
or Sexually
Reproduce Asexually
or Sexually
Important Factoid:
Live in harsh
environments
Important Factoid:
Some are
Decomposers, some
helpful, some
Important Factoid:
1/3 of our oxygen
comes from
photosynthesizing
Fungi
Protista
• Protists are classified on what they are NOT:
– They have a nucleus (are eukaryotic) so they can’t be
bacteria
– They are photosynthesizes so they can’t be fungi
(which are decomposers/heterotrophs)
– They are not complex enough to be plants or animals
• Considered the “Junk Drawer” Kingdom
• Most are unicellular and microscopic
• Live where there is water/moisture
Protista
• Some protists are autotrophic, producers
meaning they photosynthesize– 1/3 of our oxygen comes from these type of protists
• They are classified on their motility (how they
move) or how they obtain nutrition
(heterotrophic or autotrophic)
• Historically they are divided into
– Plant like protista (algae)
– Animal like protista (protozoa)
Protista
• Protists can move by:
– Pseudopodia
• Pseudo= “Fake” Podia= “feet”
• They can also engulf prey using their pseudopodia (making
them heterotrophic)
• Example of a protist
with pseudopodia?
– Ameoba
Protista
Protists can move by:
– Flagella
• Tail-like structure
– Called Flagellates
• Example?
– Euglena
• Euglena are photosynthetic/autotrophic (they are green
because they have chloroplast)
Protista
Protists can move by:
– Cilia
• Short hair-like structures
• Organisms with cilia
are called ciliates
– Heterotrophic
• Eat with a structure
called an “oral groove”
– Example:
• Paramecium
• Stentor
• Radiolarans
• Diatoms
Protista
– Photosynthetic
– Unicellular
– Two parts fit together like a shoe box or petri dish
– The shells are used in paint to add sparkle
– Used as pest control
• Algae
Protista
– Characterized by the pigment they contain
• Green algae- sea weed, marine plankton, volvox,
• Red algae- can absorb light in deep waters, used to
make agar (the jello-like stuff in our petri dishes)
• Brown algae- kelp
Algae rocks.
Chuck knows.
Protists
• Dinoflagellates
– Called phytoplankton
– Responsible for the red tide which causes massive
fish deaths from the toxins they produce.
– Their toxins stun the fish and the dinoflagellates
feed on the body fluids
Protista
• Some protists make us sick:
– The protist Plasmodium causes Malaria and is
transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito
• Malaria kills more people than any other infectious disease
• Trypanosoma- causes African sleeping sickness in
humans and is transmitted by the bite of a tsetse fly
Protista
• Giardia lamblia- causes cramps, nausea, diarrhea,
vomiting
• Amebic dysentery- infection by an amoeba, causes
bloody diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps, fever
– “Don’t Drink the Water”
Archaebacteria
Eubacteria
Protist
Fungi
Domain: Archae
Kingdom :
Archaebacteria
Domain: Bacteria
Kingdom: Eubacteria
Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Protista
Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Fungi
“Ancient Bacteria”
“True Bacteria:
“Junk Drawer”
Prokaryotic
Prokaryotic
Eukaryotic
Eukaryotic
Unicellular
Unicellular
Both Uni &
Multicellular
Multicellular except
for yeast
Most are
Chemotrophic
Most are
Heterotrophic
Both Autotrophic and
Heterotrophic
Heterotrophic
(decomposers)
Reproduce
Asexually or
Sexually
Reproduce Asexually
or Sexually
Reproduce Asexually
or Sexually
Reproduce
Asexually or
Sexually
Important Factoid:
Live in harsh
environments
Important Factoid:
Some are
Decomposers, some
helpful, some
pathogens
Important Factoid:
1/3 of our oxygen
comes from
photosynthesizing
protista
Important Factoid:
Decomposers with
cell walls made of
chitin (ki-ten)
Fungi are….
Eukaryotic because they have a nucleus.
Multicellular (except yeast!)
NOT PLANTS
- They do not contain chlorophyll, they are not green, they are not
autotrophs, they are not plants!!
Heterotrophic because they consume food by decomposing.
-Decomposers- feed on dead and decaying organisms or parasitic –
living in or on another organism, possibly causing disease
Made of cell walls with chitin (ki-tin).
Chitin is also found in the hard outer covering of insects- fungi are
more related to insects than plants!
Fungi Structures
• Septum- chitin walls
between cells
• Mycelium- body of the
fungus
• Hyphae- filaments that make
up the mycelium
• Spores- reproductive cell
that is resistant to
environmental conditions,
usually spread by wind
Three Phyla of Fungi
• Three phyla of fungi, based on method of
sexual reproduction:
– Zygomycota
– Ascomycota
– Basidiomycota
Protist that gave rise
to the fungi
Three Phyla of Fungi
Zygomycota
– produce zygosporangia
– Ex) Pilobus can aim its sporangia
toward light where grass is likely to
be growing, then shoot spores to
the grass. Important because they
depend on grazing animals, like
cows, to scatter the spores through
feces.
– Ex) Rhizopus stolonifer - black
bread mold
Three Phyla of Fungi
Ascomycota
Fungi that reproduce
with internal sac-like
structures called asci
that are full of spores
• Ex) cup fungi,
penicillium, yeast,
morels, truffles (not
chocolate ones!)
Three Phyla of Fungi
Basidiomycota
• Fungi that reproduce
with basidia (an
external club-like
structure found under
the cap of a mushroom)
that bear spores
• Ex) mushrooms,
puffballs, rusts, smuts,
shelf fungi
Benefits of Fungi
• Used to make medicines such as Penicillin
• Used in Cooking:
– Bread
– Mushrooms in salads, on pizza, etc.
– Cheeses
– Soy sauce
– Beer, wine and champagne
Mold
Note the zone of
inhibition around this
Penicillium
Penicillium - an ascomycete commonly called
“mold” that naturally produces an antibiotic
bacteria
Fungi Nutrition
• Decomposers- Secretes
digestive enzymes that break
down organic material
– Some compete for nutrients with
their host (parasitic)
• Can cause plant diseases
– Corn smut, wheat rust
• Can cause animal diseases
– Athlete’s foot, ring worm (not a
worm)
Examples of basidiomycetes
Rusts, smuts, & ergots
Fun Fungi Fact:
Ergots – can cause gangrene,
nervous spasms, burning
sensations, hallucinations,
temporary insanity, and death
when accidentally ingested
In 944 A.D. more than
40,000 people died in France
from ergot poisoning. It
contains one of the active
ingredients found in LSD.
Oddly enough, it has been
used for medicinal purposes
in treating high blood
pressure and stopping
maternal bleeding following
childbirth
Some of the “witch hunts” of 17th century America
have been attributed to ergot poisoning as it is a
common pest in rye.
FAIRY RING – results from the outward growth in all
directions of a basidiomycete (mushroom); the
structures visible above the ground are the reproductive
structures; the body of the fungus (mycelium) is in the
ground
Do Not Eat
Lichens
• A symbiotic relationship between a fungi and a
photosynthetic partner such as an algae or
cyanobacteria.
• The photosynthetic organism provide nutrients for
themselves and the fungus, while the fungus
provides water and minerals for the photosynthetic
metabolism
Test your Knowledge!
• Which simple organisms are prokaryotic?
• Fungi and Protista belong to which domain?
• Which two simple organisms are considered decomposers?
• Which kingdom produces 1/3 of our oxygen?
• Which kingdom contains yeast?
• Which kingdom contains algae?
• Which kingdom contains E.coli?
• Which kingdoms are eukaryotic?