What is taxonomy?
The branch of science concerned with the classification of organisms
Who was Carolus Linnaeus?
Responsible for the development of the 7 level classification system and binomial nomenclature (naming organisms by genus and species)
What does our current classification system include?
Linnaeus’ 7 levels and an additional level, DOMAIN
Why do we classify?
To uncover additional information about the Earth, to organize and name organisms, and to describe evolutionary relationships between organisms
What is our current classification system?
DOMAIN KINGDOM PHYLUM CLASS ORDER FAMILY GENUS SPECIES
What are the three domains of life?
Introduced by Carl Woese in 1977:
- ARCHAEA
- BACTERIA
- EUKARYA
What does the ARCHAEA domain consist of?
PROKARYOTES that live in harsh environments
What does the BACTERIA domain consist of?
BACTERIA that can live in almost any environment
What does the EUKARYA domain consist of?
All EUKARYOTES
What are the six kingdoms of life?
- Plants
- Animals
- Fungi
- Protists
- Archaeabacteria
- Eubacteria
Organism are place in kingdoms by:
- Cell type (complex or simple)
- Their ability to make food
- The number of cells present within the organism
Archaebacteria:
- Prokaryotes
- Can be autotrophic or heterotrophic
- Unicellular
- Live in extreme environments (hot springs)
Eubacteria:
- Prokaryotes
- Can be autotrophic or heterotrophic
- Unicellular
- Can be helpful or harmful
- Live in almost all environments
Fungi:
- Eukaryotes
- Heterotrophic
- Can be unicellular or multicellular
- Most feed on dead/decaying organisms
- Live in most environments (shady and moist)
- Examples: mushrooms, yeast, and mold
Protists:
- Eukaryotes
- Can be autotrophic or heterotrophic
- Can be unicellular or multicellular
- Live in moist environments and can move on their own
- Examples: paramecium, euglena, and amoeba
Animals (kingdom):
- Eukaryotes
- Heterotrophic
- Multicellular
- Have abilities to locate, capture, eat, and digest food
- Live in most environments
- Examples: birds, horses, and humans
Plants (kingdom):
- Eukaryotes
- Autotrophic
- Multicellular
- Without plants, no life would exist
- Examples: dandelions, moss, and trees
What is a phylum?
The rank of classification below kingdom and before class: organisms within the same phylum have the same general body plan
Types of Body Symmetry:
Asymmetry: No symmetry
Radial symmetry: Circular shape
Bilateral symmetry: Identical right and left halves
Levels of Organization:
Cellular-
The simplest animals are made of independent cells (sponges)
Tissue-
Cells work together to form specialized tissues like muscle tissue (jellyfish)
Organs-
Tissues work together to form organs that do a specific job (turtles)
Phylum: Rotifera
- Bilaterally symmetrical
- Organ system level
- Microscopic, mostly aquatic
ex: zooplankton
Phylum: Nematoda
- Bilaterally symmetrical
- Organ system level (digestive system)
- Unsegmented, smooth, strand-lie worms (up to 4 feet in length), many are parasitic
ex: hookworms, pinworms
Phylum: Annelida (Segmented Worms)
- Bilaterally symmetrical
- Organ system level (nervous, digestive system)
- Bristle-like setae for movement
- Live in nearly all environments, long and narrow bodies, segmented
ex: earthworms
Phylum: Mollusca
- Bilaterally symmetrical
- Organ system level (nervous, circulatory system)
- Live in nearly all environments, soft bodies, muscular foot for movement
ex: snails, clams
