Test #2 Notes: Classification and Kingdoms: Bacteria, Protista, Fungi, Plants, & Animals
I. Classification

Why are things classified? __________________________________

Examples: _________________________________________________________
A.Taxonomy – The science of grouping organisms based on structural and
chemical similarities.

The first widely accepted classification system for living organisms was devised by Aristotle, the
system lasted 2000 yrs.
Kingdom Plantae
1.
2.
3.
Kingdom Animalia
Herbs - soft stems (flowers & weeds)
Shrubs - many wooded stems (bushes)
Trees – one woody stem (oak & elm)
Land Dwellers – humans, squirrels, dogs
Air Dwellers – birds
Water Dwellers – fish, whale, sponge
 Is this a good or bad system of classification? Why?
Why are common names not good for classification?

Sea Cucumber
Sea Anemones
Mountain Lion
Cougar
Puma
Panther
Starfish
Cuttlefish
Crayfish
Jellyfish
Roly-Poly
Sow Bug
Pill Bug
Wood Louse
What is a polynomial classification system and why do we not use it for classification of living
organisms?



Example: Carnation (flower) – Dianthus Floribus Solitariis, Squamis Calycinis Suboratis Brevissimis, Corollis Crenatis
B. Binomial Nomenclature – A two name, naming system. Devised by Carolus Linnaeus (1750’s) and still used
today.
Two-word/name description of organisms based on structure:
1st Word = Genus (first letter is capitalized)

2nd Word = species (all letters are lower case)
both Genus and species are underlined
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Examples:
Canis familiaris – house dog
Felis concolor – cougar
Canis lupus – wolf
Felis domesticus – house cat
Canis latrans – coyote
_______ ________ – human
C. Classification Hierarchy
TAXA
Kingdom
___________________ most general
Phylum
___________________
Class
___________________
Order
___________________
Family
___________________
Genus
scientific 
name
Species

Example: Human
___________________
___________________ most specific
Why the Latin language is used for classification:
a) Latin was the language used by scientists in the 1600’s, 1700’s, and 1800’s when modern
classification began.
b) Latin is a descriptive language.
c) Many languages are derived from Latin.
d) Latin is a dead (unchanging) language.
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
The most modern methods of classifying organisms is based on: Structure, Life Cycles, Biochemistry (DNA
comparison), Cell #, Cell Type, Nutrition (how & what the organism eats)

Phylogeny – The evolutionary history of an organism (phylogenetic trees show relatedness between
organisms).
D. Dichotomous Key – A written set of choices that lead
to the name of a particular organism or object.
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II. Viruses
A. Virus – Nonliving particle made up of RNA or DNA core,
surrounded by a protein coat called a capsid.
Temperate Virus – A non-disease causing virus.
Virulent/Pathogenic Virus – A disease causing virus (HIV, mumps, influenza/flu, cold, polio, small pox,
rabies, chicken pox, rubella, yellow fever, infectious hepatitis).
B. How Viruses Differ From Eukaryotic Cells:
Membrane
Cytoplasm
Organelles
Nucleus
DNA &
RNA
Reproduction
Homeostasis
Alive?
Virus
Eukaryotic
Cell
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C. Virus Reproduction – The Lytic Cycle
1.
Adsorption – The virus attaches itself to a host (living) cell.
2. Entry – The virus releases an enzyme that weakens the cell
membrane to inject its nucleic acid into the host.
3. Replication – The viral nucleic acid (DNA or RNA)
directs the cell nucleic acid to produce viral
proteins.
4. Assembly - The viral proteins made during replication
are then assembled to make viral clones of the
original virus.
5. Release – Viral enzymes eat at the cells membrane from within causing it to lyse (loosen or be disintegrated)
releasing the newly formed viral clones that will search for a new host cell to infect.
D. Viruses and Disease
a. Oncogenic viruses cause cancer by ________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
b. Vaccines
1.
Weakened virus or viral proteins
2. Causes host’s immune system to produce antibodies against that virus
3. Prevents viral disease
4. Do not treat disease after the host is infected
III. Kingdom Eubacteria: _________________________________________________________________
Kingdom Archaebacteria: _____________________________________________________________
Characteristics: 1) Prokaryotes
4) Haploid
2) Microscopic
3) Cell wall made of peptidoglycan
5) Heterotrophic & Autotrophic
A. Bacterial Classification
1. Shape
Coccus - circles
Staphlo – clusters of cells
Bacillus - rod shaped
Spirilli – spiral
Strepto – filaments of chains
Diplo - pair
Examples:
Staphlococcus -
Streptococcus -
Staphlobaccilus –
Streptobacillus -
Diplococcus -
Diplobacillus –
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2. Nutrition – how and what bacteria eat
a)
Heterotrophs – Get their nutrition from others

Saprotroph – Feeds off dead or decaying organisms

Parasite – Feeds off living organisms (hosts)
b)
Autotrophs – Provide their own form of energy

Phototrophs – Derive their own energy using sunlight (photosynthesis)

Chemotrophs – Derive their own energy using chemicals (chemosynthesis)
B. Bacterial Reproduction
1. Binary Fission (mitosis) – Asexual form of reproduction in which the offspring
are identical to the parent
2. Conjugation – Sexual form of reproduction in
which bacteria exchange DNA
to form offspring that are not
identical to the parent cells.
C. Positive Aspects of Bacteria:
1. Genetic Engineering
2. Help digest oil spills, sewage/dumps, and dead organisms (nutrient cycling and nitrogen fixation).
3. Breaks down food into usable vitamins and minerals for man, cows, termites, etc.
4. Helps in the fermentation process to make cheese, wine, some pickles, sauerkraut, buttermilk, etc.
E. Negative Aspects of Bacteria
 Pathogens – Disease causing bacteria (syphilis, tuberculosis, typhoid,
tetanus, cholera, diphtheria, bubonic, E. coli, lyme disease,
Leprosy, tetanus, scarlet fever, typhus).
Antibiotics – Chemicals capable of inhibiting (stopping) bacterial growth.
3. Kingdom Protista
A. Characteristics of Protists
 Cell walls of cellulose, some have chloroplast
 Unicellular or multi- cellular
 Autotrophic or heterotrophic
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B. Types of Protists
1. Protozoa – Animal like Protists (non-photosynthetic, no cell wall)
 Classification (phylum’s) are based on their movement:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Sarcodina – cytoplasmic streaming (ameba)
Ciliophora – use of cilia
Zoomastigina/Zoomastigophora – use of flagella
Sporozoa – immobile (parasitic)
2. Algae – Plant like Protists (photosynthetic, have cell wall made of cellulose)
 Classification (Divisions) are based on pigments (color), food storage substance, and cell wall
composition.
a) Chlorophyta – green algae
d) chrysophyta – golden brown
b) Phaeophyta – brown algae
e) Pyrrophyta – red/orange
c) rhodophyta – red algae
ab) Euglenophyta– true eye
C. Negative Aspects of Kingdom Protista
1. Some protozoa’s are disease causing (plasmodium – ____________, trypanosoma – ________________,
Giardia- ______________________)
2. Some algae, under ideal environmental conditions will develop into algal blooms (red tides)– which deplete
nutrients for other species and will at times release toxins that will harm other species.
D. Positive Aspects of Kingdom Protista
1. Some Protists help in the digestive processes of animals.
2. Found at the bottom of many food chains/webs.
3. Used as filler in products such as ice cream, toothpaste, and breads (algae)
4. Source of much of the worldwide oxygen supply (algae)
5. Algae produces agarose, which is used in Gel Electrophoresis and bacterial culture growth
4. Kingdom Fungi
A. Fungi Characteristics:
1. Non-photosynthetic
2. Cell wall made up of chitin (found also in kingdom
animalia) and not cellulose (found in kingdom plantae)
3. Store their food as glycogen (like animals) and not as
starch (like plants)
4. Fungi are heterotrophs (saprotrophs and parasites)
5. Reproduction can be sexual or asexual
B. Fungi Reproduction
1. Asexual:
 Cells or hyphae break off from a fungus and begin to
grow on their own.
 Spores released from gills scatter and grow into
completely new organisms elsewhere.
2. Sexual:
 Hyphae of two mating types forms a diploid zygote.
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C. Negative Aspects of Kingdom Fungi
1. Some are disease causing:
a) blight and wheat rust in plants
b) mildew, athletes feet. and ringworm
2. Some are poisonous to humans
D. Positive Aspects of Kingdom Fungi
1. Break down dead organisms into fertile soil
2. Food source for animals
3. Fermentation abilities allow for making bread rise and the making
of alcohol’s
4. Genetic Engineering (Yeast was the first organism whose genome was
sequenced)
5. Possess natural chemicals that fight bacterial pathogens (antibiotics –
penicillin), and immune suppressors (cyclosporine).
5. Kingdom Plantae
A. Characteristics:
1. Photosynthetic, multicellular, and have cell walls
2. Possess three organs (roots, stems, leaves)
3. Can reproduce sexually or asexually
4. Store their sugar/glucose as starch
There are benefits for plants that encouraged the evolution towards land.
1. _________________________
2. _________________________
4. __________________________
5. _________________________
3. ______________________________
The primary drawback to plants evolving onto land was the possibility of desiccation/drying out. An early plant
adaptation for living on land was the cuticle, a waxy protective covering against desiccation and pathogens.
B. Positive Aspects of Plants:
1. Food source – nectar, wheat, rice, corn, soy
2. Medicine – aspirin (pain relief), cortisone (anti-inflammatory), quinine (treat malaria), taxol (breast cancer
treatments)
3. Fuel – ethanol (derived from corn)
4. Used for many everyday consumable products, such as: wood (lumber), rubber, turpentine (solvent),
aper, and more.
6. Kingdom Animalia
A. Characteristics:
1. Heterotrophic, multicellular, and lack cell walls
2. Store their sugar/glucose as glycogen
3. Can reproduction sexually (most prominently) or
asexually (seen much more rarely)
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B.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Positive Aspects of Animals
Food (duh)
Labor (Horses, Mules, Oxen)
Biotechnology (Roundworms, Fruit Flies, Zebrafish)
Medicines – cancer treatments (derived from shark cartilage, etc..), blood thinners (found in leeches),
anesthetics (isolated from spider, leech, and frog toxins).
Unit #2 Test Format: Classification
Test date: _________
1. Why are common names not good for classification – give examples? (CR)
2. Why do scientists use Latin for classification? (MC)
3. Describe binomial nomenclature. (CR)
4. Which two levels of the hierarchical classification make up the scientific name of an organism? (MC)
5. Identify the hierarchical classification sequence from least to most or most to least complex. (MC)
6. Be able to correctly write the human scientific name. (CR)
7. Be able to correctly draw a phylogenetic tree showing the relationships between kingdoms. (MC)
8. What is the function of a dichotomous key (MC)? Be able to use a dichotomous key. (MC)
9. Identify the characteristics and examples of viruses? (MC)
10. Why do viruses invade our cells? (MC)
11. What are vaccines and how do they work? (MC)
12. Identify the characteristics of Kingdoms Eubacteria/Archaebacteria. (MC)
13. Draw various bacteria, using a given shape and arrangement. (CR)
14. Describe 4 examples of how bacteria benefit humans. (CR)
15. What is the difference between gram positive and gram negative bacteria? (MC)
16. What is a pathogen? Give 4 examples – 2 bacteria & 2 viruses. (CR)
17. Antibiotics effect the growth of which microorganism(s)? (MC)
18. Identify the characteristics and examples of Kingdom Protista. (MC)
19. Describe the difference between protozoans and algae. (MC)
20. Identify the characteristics and examples of Kingdom Fungi. (MC)
21. Why are Fungi not considered Plants? (CR)
22. Describe 4 examples of how fungi benefit humans. (CR)
23. Identify the characteristics and examples of Kingdom Plantae. (MC)
24. Identify the characteristics and examples of Kingdom Animalia. (MC)
Know the following terms (MC):
Taxonomy
Virulent
Temperate
Anaerobe
Phylogeny
Obligate
Aerobe
Heterotroph
Lyse
Conjugation
Parasite
Saprotroph
Binary Fission
Flagella
Facultative
Autotroph
Specificity
Cilia
Chitin
Chemotroph
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