Environmental Science
Name: ______________________________
Chapter 2: The Organization of Life
Goal: The student will name the six kingdoms of organisms and identify two characteristics of each, explain the
importance of bacteria and fungi in the environment, describe the importance of protists in the ocean environment,
describe how angiosperms and animals depend on each other and explain why insets are such successful animals.
Vocabulary:
1.
Bacteria-
2. Fungus3. Protist4. Gymnosperm5. Angiosperm6. Invertebrate7. Vertebrate-
Chapter 2.4: The Diversity of Living Things
Life on Earth is incredibly diverse. Look around outdoors and you can see all the diversity in the trees, birds, insects and
fish. They are all living, but are very different from one another.
How do we organize this variety of organisms into categories we can understand?
Scientists place them into six kingdoms based on different characteristics. Ex: How they get their food, the types of cells
they are made up of.
Bacteria
Bacteria are microscopic, single-celled organisms that usually have cell walls and reproduce by dividing in half; they lack
nuclei.
There are two main kinds of bacteria: archaebacteria (live in swamps and produce methane gas, can live in hot springs)
and eubacteria (common in soil and in animal intestines)
Bacteria live in every habitat on Earth.
Bacteria and the Environment
Bacteria play many important roles in the environment: break down the remains and wastes of other organisms, return
nutrients to the soil.
Some recycle nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous. Nitrogen is converted from the air into a form plants can use.
Nitrogen is a main component of proteins and genetic material
Fungi
A fungus is an organism whose cells have nuclei, cell walls (miniature skeletons) and no chlorophyll. Ex: mushrooms (the
part you see is the reproductive structure, the rest is underground and is a network of fibers that absorb food from
decaying organisms in the soil).
Fungi break down the bodies and body parts of dead organisms (wood, leaves)
Some fungi cause diseases (athlete’s foot); some add flavor to food (blue cheese); some produce gas (yeast-to make bread
rise).
Protists
Protists are a diverse group of organisms that belong to the kingdom Protista. Ex: amoebas (animallike), kelp (plantlike).
Most are one-celled microscopic organisms. (amoebas, diatoms) The most infamous protist is the one that causes malaria.
The most famous, environmentally, is algae. Algae are plantlike protists that make their own food. Green pond “scum”
and seaweed are examples of algae. Phytoplankton are the initial source of food in most ocean and freshwater
ecosystems.
Plants
Plants are many-celled organisms that make their own food using the sun’s energy and they have cell walls.
Lower Plants
Lower plants are small plants such as mosses; they do not grow very large and live in damp places. Some of the first
ferns were as large as small trees; some of these tree ferns live in the tropics and in New Zealand today.
Gymnosperms
Pine trees and other evergreens are common examples of gymnosperms. Gymnosperms are woody plants whose seeds are
not enclosed in fruits. Ex: pine trees (aka conifers) because they bear cones.
They have several adaptations: can live in drier conditions, produce pollen and produce seeds.
Much of our lumber and paper come from gymnosperms.
Angiosperms
Most land plants today are angiosperms. They are flowering plants that produce seeds in fruit. Ex: wheat, rice, beans,
oranges and lettuce.
Some angiosperms, like grass, produce pollen which is carried by the wind. Others have large flowers that attract insects
or birds that carry the pollen to other plants.
Many flowering plants depend on animals to disperse their seeds or carry their pollen.
Building material comes from flowering plants (oak, cotton).
Animals
Animals cannot make their own food but take in food from plants. They have many cells and live on the land and in
water. Animals have skeletons which allow them to be flexible and give them the ability to be mobile.
Invertebrates
Animals that lack backbones are invertebrates. Ex: Ocean filter feeders like corals, various worms, mollusks (clams,
oysters); squid, insects
Insects have a waterproof external skeleton. They move quickly and reproduce quickly. Some can fly, they are small
which allows them to live on little food and hide from enemies.
Vertebrates
Animals that have a backbone are called vertebrates. There are three groups of vertebrates: Fish, reptiles and warmblooded vertebrates.
Fish include amphibians (toad, frogs and salamanders) which are partially aquatic. Almost all need to return to the water
to lay their eggs.
Reptiles include turtles, lizards, snakes and crocodiles. They have waterproof eggs which allow them to lay eggs.
Mammals have the ability to maintain their body temperature which allows them to live in all climates.
Lesson Reflection:

Complete the Classification of Living Organisms handout.
Assessment:
1. Describe the importance of protists in the ocean.
2. Explain the importance of bacteria and fungi in the environment.
Active Reading: The Diversity of Living Things
Lesson Extension (Technology/Application/Connection to Real World):