DIVERSITY

Classification and Taxonomy

✿ Taxonomy:
branch of biology that identifies names and classifies species based on natural features
● A species is classified by one of 8 different categories (aka ranks)
○ The name of each rank is called a taxon
○ From most general to most specific:
Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
(Dear King Philip Cried Out For Goodness Sake)

binomial nomenclature: the system of giving a 2 word latin name to each species- first part is the
genus and second part is the species
genus: taxonomic group of closely related species
● The genus name is capitalized and species is lowercase
● Typed in italics like this Homo Sapiens
● When handwritten underlined both parts Homo Sapiens
✿ 3 Domains/ 6 Kingdoms

The 3 Domains
1) Bacteria
2) Eukarya
3) Archaea
● Eukarya contains the greatest biological diversity in the kingdom Protista
● Protista has lived longer than plants and animals so they had more time to evolve

The 6 Kingdoms
1) Plantae (multicellular, eukaryotic)
2) Animalia (multicellular, eukaryotic)
3) Fungi (multicellular, eukaryotic)
4) Protista (unicellular, multicellular, and eukaryotic)
5) Bacteria (unicellular, prokaryotic)
6) Archaea (unicellular, prokaryotic)

ACRONYM: Please Add Food Plates Back Away

Domain Bacteria Archaea Eukarya

Kingdom Bacteria Archaea Protista Plantae Fungi Animalia

Example Staphylococcus Sulfolobus Amoeba Maple tree Mushroom Rabbit

archaea

Cell Type Prokaryote Prokaryote Eukaryote Eukaryote Eukaryote Eukaryote

# of cells Unicellular Unicellular Unicellular/ Multicellular Mostly Multicellular

Multicellular multicellular

Nutrition Autotrophs/ Autotrophs/ Autotrophs/ Autotrophs Heterotrophs Heterotrophs

Heterotrophs Heterotrophs Heterotrophs

Reproduction Asexual Asexual Asexual/ Sexual Sexual Sexual

Sexual

Animalia
❖ Animals are multicellular, heterotrophic (can’t make their own food) eukaryotes,
❖ Unlike plants and fungi, animals don’t have a cell wall
❖ Animal bodies are held together by structural proteins (ie. collagen).
❖ Most animals reproduce sexually.

Plantae
❖ Plants are multicellular, eukaryotic producers (they create their own food).
❖ Plants can reproduce sexually and asexually.

Fungi
❖ Fungi are multicellular, eukaryotic decomposers.
❖ Like animals, fungi are heterotrophs
❖ Unlike animals, fungi do not ingest their food, instead they digest their food while it is still in
the environment by secreting powerful enzymes which break down complex molecules that
the fungi can absorb.
❖ Fungi produce spores through sexual or asexual life cycles

Protista
❖ Eukaryotes may be unicellular, multicellular and may be producers or consumers.
❖ Contains the organisms- protozoa, algae, slime molds, and water molds.
❖ Most protists are aquatic, and they are found almost anywhere there is water.
❖ Protists reproduce asexually through binary fission: duplicating their genetic material and
then splitting to form two daughter cells identical to the parent.

Bacteria
 ● Unicellular, prokaryotes, which may be producers, consumers or decomposers.
● Most bacteria are usually classified under this kingdom.
● Every major mode of nutrition and metabolism is represented among bacteria.
● They reproduce asexually through binary fission.

Archaea:
● Unicellular, prokaryote
● Oldest group of organisms on Earth
● Share similar traits with Bacteria
● Extremophiles - “lovers” of extreme conditions.
● Extreme thermophiles (love very hot environments)
● Extreme halophiles (love highly saline environments)
● They reproduce asexually through binary fission

Bacteria and Archaebacteria

✿ Comparing Morphology:
➢ Most common forms in both bacteria and archaea are spheres and rods
➢ The spheres are called cocci and the rods are bacilli
➢ The 3rd is spiral shape

✿ Anaerobic vs. Aerobic Environments

● Depending on the species, Bacteria and Archaea can be anaerobic or aerobic
○ Aerobic: An aerobic organism requires oxygen for growth (obligate aerobes).
○ Anaerobic: An anaerobic organism is any organism that does not require oxygen.
■ It may react negatively or even die if oxygen is present (obligate anaerobes)

✿ Nutrition
Methanogens (archaea)
- These archaea are anaerobes. They consume inorganic compounds and make methane
(natural gas) as a waste product.
- They are found in swamp sediments, sewage, buried landfills and in the gut of livestock.
- Only archaea go through methanogenesis which produces methane gas as a by-product
 - Methane is the simplest organic compound but is a harmful greenhouse gas
- Methane-producing archaea live in the digestive tract of animals such as cattle

Cyanobacteria (bacteria)
- Some bacteria are photosynthetic- an example would be cyanobacteria
- Cyanobacteria produce oxygen and live in both fresh and saltwater
- They are responsible for much of the atmospheric oxygen on Earth
- Contain chlorophyll and do photosynthesis

✿ Comparing Habitats
❖ Extremophiles: Archaea have the ability to live in extreme conditions
➢ Most bacteria are mesophiles (organisms that live in environments with moderate
conditions)
❖ Thermophile: “heat lovers”
➢ found in deep sea vents and hot springs
❖ Acidophile: “acid lovers
➢ found in volcanic crater lakes and mine drainage lakes
❖ Halophile: “salt lovers”
➢ found in salt lakes

✿ Comparing Reproduction
Binary Fission
● Since bacteria and archaea lack nuclei, they cannot reproduce by mitosis or meiosis.
● Binary fission is an asexual form of reproduction
● Binary fission produces daughter cells that are genetically identical to the mother cell.

Conjugation
 ➢ In less favourable conditions, some bacteria
and archaea are able to exchange DNA by
conjugation
➢ Process produces cells with new genetic
combinations, providing a chance that they can
better adapt
➢ During conjugation one cell links itself to
another cell via a bridging structure and
transfers all or part of their genetic code to the
other cell.

Endospores
● Some species of bacteria can form a hard-walled structure, called an endospore, which
protects and stores the organism’s genetic material.
● Endospores will protect the bacteria from high temperatures, drying out, freezing, radiation
and toxicity.
● Endospores have not been found in archaea.

✿ Classifying and Identifying Bacteria and Archaea

Gram Stains
● Gram stains are used to divide bacteria into two groups.
○ Gram-positive bacteria
○ Gram-negative bacteria
● Gram-positive bacteria have a thick protein layer on their cell wall and
stain purple.
● Gram-negative bacteria have a thin protein layer on their cell wall and stain pink.

Viruses

Viruses do not belong to a kingdom and therefore are not considered to be alive
● Viruses are dependent on the internal workings of other cells. They cannot “live”
independently outside of their host cell.
● Outside of a host cell, the virus will remain dormant.
● Viruses do not have:
○ A cellular structure
○ Cytoplasm
○ Organelles
○ Cell membranes
○ The ability to carry out life functions
● Examples of viruses include HIV, HPV, Polio and H1N1
✿ Viral Structure
● Viruses are very tiny
● All viruses contain the following:
○ A protein shell enclosing the viral genome which is called a capsid.
○ DNA (double or single stranded) or RNA (Double or single stranded)
● Some viruses have accessory structures that help them infect their hosts.
● Some have viral envelopes, which are derived from the membrane of the host cell, contain
host cell phospholipids and membrane proteins

✿ Cycles
Lytic Cycle
- The typical replication of viruses is the lytic cycle
- Viruses infect and destroy host cells, releasing new virus particles

Lysogenic Cycle
- Viral DNA integrates into the host genome and may remain dormant for some time.
- The lysogenic cycle replicates the virus’ genome without destroying the host. The viral DNA
attaches itself to the host cell’s chromosomes
- In this way, the virus may remain dormant within the host cell, only to later reactivate and
instruct the host cell to produce more viruses.

✿ Prions
➔ Non disease causing agents
➔ Proteins that are normally found in the body
➔ Lack RNA and DNA
➔ Cause severe deadly brain diseases ( CJD, scrapie in sheep)
Cladograms
- A cladogram is a stylized diagram that looks like a series of Y’s or forks in a road.
- At each branch, or “Y” junction, novel characters of evolutionary origin are used to separate
off one group from the rest.

Dichotomous Keys
Dichotomous keys are used to identify organisms through a series of yes/no questions, leading to a
specific species.