Classification of
Organisms
…and why it is important for
scientists to put organisms into
specific groups…
The Kingdoms
Kingdoms and Examples
Protists
Plant
Fungi
Moneran
Animal
Algae
Vascular
Mushrooms
Bacteria
Reptiles
Parameciem
Trees and
Flowers
Molds
Blue green
algae
Fish
Diatoms
Nonvascular
Yeasts
Birds
Lichens
Amphibians
Rusts
Mammals
Amoebas
Ferns and
Mosses
The Protists Kingdom
Characteristics of protists
A. Most are one-celled, but some have many cells
B. Cells have a membrane around the nucleus
C. Some get nutrients and energy by eating other organisms
D. Some get energy from the sun, and nutrients from the water
around them
E. Most reproduce by splitting in two
F. Examples are paramecium, amoeba, and kelp
There are three categories:
– Animal-like protists
• Amoeba, paramecium, giardia, plasmodium
– Fungus-like protists
• Water molds, downey mildews, slime molds
– Plant-like protists
• Euglenoids, dinoflagellates, diatoms
Animal-like protists
Amoeba
Giardia
Paramecium
•Protists that are classified as animal-like are called protozoans
and share some common traits with animals.
•All animal-like protists are heterotrophs.
•Likewise, all animal-like protists are able to move in their
environment in order to find their food.
•Unlike, animals, however, animal-like protists are all
unicellular.
Fungus-like protists
Downy Mildews
Water Molds
Live in water or moist environments
Look like tiny threads with a fuzzy covering
Attack food such as potatoes, cabbage, and corn and
can destroy whole crops
Slime Molds
Live in moist soil
and on decaying
plants and trees
Very colorful
Move by forming
pseudopods
Feed on bacteria
and other
microorganisms
Plant-like protists
Euglenoid
•Autotrophs
when sunny
•Heterotrophs
when dark
•Unicellular
•Found mostly in
fresh water
•Some have
flagellum
Dinoflagellate
•Unicellular
•Covered by
stiff plates
•Have two
flagella
•May glow in
the dark
•Found in
ocean
Diatom
•Unicellular
•Glasslike
cell walls
•Used in
toothpastes,
scouring
products, and
as filters
More plant-like protists
Green Algae
•Are green in color
•Mostly unicellular,
but some form
colonies, and a few
are multicellular
•Live in fresh water,
salt water, and a few
live on land
Red Algae
•Multicellular
•Commonly called sea
weed
•Live in deep salt water
•Are used by humans to
help make ice cream and
hair conditioner
•Are eaten in some Asian
cultures
Brown Algae
•Multicellular
•Commonly called sea
weed
•Have large leaf-like
structures called blades
•Live in salt water
•Are used by humans to
help make pudding and
salad dressing
The Fungi Kingdom
Characteristics of fungi
A. Most are many-celled and some are onecelled organisms
B. Cells have a membrane around the nucleus
C. Get nutrients and energy by absorbing/
digesting the surface they live on
D. Most reproduce by spores
E. Examples are yeast, mushrooms, bread
molds, and lichens
Mushrooms
Yeasts
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Lichen
"black-foam
lichen" on bark
in the Great
Smoky
Mountains.
Molds
Rusts (fungi on grasses)
Moneran Kingdom
• Characteristics of monerans
A. One-celled organisms
B. Cells have no membrane around the nucleus
• C. Reproduce by splitting in two
D. Absorb nutrients from outside their bodies
E. Some monerans cause diseases, but others
are helpful to people
F. Examples: bacteria
Bacteria
E coli bacteria
Lime disease bacteria
Anthrax bacteria
Blue-green algae
Plant Kingdom
Characteristics of plants
A. Many-celled organisms
B. Cells have a membrane around the nucleus,
contain chlorophyll, and have cell walls
C. Get energy from the sun and take in nutrients from
their surroundings
D. Most reproduce from seeds; some reproduce from
other special parts
E. Examples are ferns, trees, grasses, and bushes
F. Vascular and Non-vascular
Non-vascular plants
Liverworts
Mosses
Nonvascular plants have no roots, stems, or leaves
Non-vascular plants is a general term for those plants
(including the green algae) without a vascular system
(xylem and phloem).
Hornworts
Vascular plants
• The vascular plants are those
plants that have lignified
tissues for conducting water,
minerals, and photosynthetic
products through the plant.
• Vascular plants include the
ferns, clubmosses, flowering
plants, conifers and other
gymnosperms.
Animal Kingdom
Characteristics of animals
A. Many-celled organisms
B. Cells have a membrane around the nucleus
C. Get nutrients and energy by eating other organisms
D. Reproduce with eggs. Some eggs develop inside the
mother's body, and some develop outside the mother's body.
E. Examples are bears, fish, frogs, butterflies, and starfish
F. Vertebrates (have a backbone) make up 2% of the world.
G. Invertebrates (have NO backbone) make up 98% of the
world.
Vertebrates
• Animals with an internal skeleton made of
bone are called vertebrates.
• Vertebrates include: primates, such as
humans and monkeys; amphibians;
reptiles; birds; and, fish.
• Although vertebrates represent only a very
small percentage of all animals, their size
and mobility often allow them to dominate
their environment.
Amphibians
Reptiles
Birds
Mammals
Fish
Invertebrates
Invertebrates don't have an internal skeleton
made of bone.
Many invertebrates have a fluid-filled, hydrostatic
skeleton, like the jelly fish or worm.
Others have a hard outer shell, like insects and
crustaceans.
The most common invertebrates include the
protozoa, annelids, echinoderms, mollusks and
arthropods.
Protozoa
Crustaceans
Mollusks
Annelids
Arachnids
Echinoderms
Insects
Why is it important for scientists to
classify organisms?
• Scientists group living organisms based on
specific characteristics to make them
easier to study.
• Living things are sorted into groups based
on common characteristics.
• Each large group can be divided into
smaller groups based on common
characteristics.