CLASSIFICATION AND DIVERSITY OF

LIVING THINGS

Objectives:
• State the reason for classification
• List the major hierarchy of classification
• Explain the binomial system of naming
• Outline the five-kingdom classification, and give
examples of major features of each kingdom.
 Reason for classification:
• In order to identify and study the billions of different
organisms living on earth, biologists have sorted and classified
them based on their similarities and differences. This system
of classification is called Taxonomy .

• Major Hierarchy of Classification:

• Kingdom
• Phylum
• Class
• Order
• Family
• Genus
• Species
 THE BINOMIAL SYSTEM OF NAMING

• This was introduced by Carolus Linnaeus

• In this system, each organism is given two names
written in Latin. The first name is the genus name. It is
usually started with a capital letter e.g. Musca.

• The second name is the species name and it starts with a

small letter e.g. domestica. Both names are underlined
separately when written or typed e.g. Musca domestica
(housefly), Homo sapiens (human beings), Carica
papaya (paw-paw) Oryza sativa (rice) etc.
THE FIVE-KINGDOM CLASSIFICATION

1. Kingdom Monera (prokaryotic):

• This includes bacteria and blue –green algae

• Prokaryotes do not have specialized structures such as
mitochondria and nucleus.
 2. Kingdom Protista:

This Consists of unicellular and simple multicellular,photosynthetic

or heterotrophic organisms e.g. chlamydomonas and amoeba.

Plant-like Protist Animal-like Protist

Chlamydomonas Amoeba
 3. Kingdom Fungi

• Consists of unicellular and multicellular plants e.g. yeast

and mushrooms.
• Lack chlorophyll, and all are heterotrophic. Some are
saprophytic, some parasitic while others are symbiotic.
 4. Kingdom Animalia:
• Consists of simple and multicellular organisms that ingest food e.g. various
animals.
• The animals are grouped into Invertebrates and Vertebrates.

Invertebrates:
• Phylum: Protozoa
• Unicellular, microscopic, and mostly aquatic organisms e.g. amoeba and
paramecium.
 Phylum : Porifera :
• Simple animals made up of cells surrounded by gel, no
nervous systems, no senses and they are sessile e.g.
sponges . They attach to rocks, shells or corals.

Phylum : Coelentrata:
• Simple animals with specialized cells and tissues and
their body is radially symmetrical e.g. hydra, sea
anemone and jelly fish.
 Phylum :Platyhelminthes:

• Flatworms with definite head and tail end. Individuals

are hermaphrodites e.g. tapeworm & blood flukes.

• Phylum: Nematoda:
• Worms with elongated unsegmented body pointed at
both ends, no coelom e.g. Ascaris and hookworm.
 Phylum : Annelida: Segmented worms e.g. earthworm.

Phylum: Mollusca: simple animals with unsegmented body,

muscular headfoot, visceral mass and shell e.g. snail, clams and
oysters.
 Phylum: Arthropoda:
• presence of jointed appendages,segmented body and bilaterally
symmetrical. It contains the following classes: Insecta, Crustacia,
Arachnida, Myriapoda/Chilopoda

Class: Insecta:
• a pair of compound eyes,
• body divided into head, thorax and abdomen,
• 3 pairs of legs,
• may have 2pairs of wings e.g. house flies and butterflies
Class: Arachnida:
• possess eight simple eyes
• eight walking legs

• respire through book lungs

• body divided into prosoma & opisthosoma e.g.
scorpions and spiders.
 Class: Crustacia:
• possess 2 body parts, Cephalothorax & abdomen,
• most have 5 pairs of walking legs,
• a pair of stalked compound eyes e.g. crabs, shrimps
and barnacles.

• Class: Myriapoda
• posess head, fused trunk and abdomen
• the abdomen has many limb bearing segments.
• Myriapoda has two subclasses:
 i) Chilopoda (centipedes):
• Have a pair of appendages on each segment
• They are carnivorous.

ii) Diplopoda (millipedes):

• Have two pairs of appendages on each segment (numerous legs)
• They are herbivorous.
Phylum: Echinodermata:
• Possess water vascular system, tube-feet and spines.
• They are radially symmetrical e.g. star fish and sea
urchin.
Phylum: Chordata:
Sub-phylum Vertebrata:

• There are five classes of vertebrates namely;

Class: Pisces
• Vertebrates with scaly skin
• Presence of gills
• Presence of fins e.g. fishes

Class: Amphibia
• Vertebrates with moist, scale-less skin
• Larva has gills, adult has lungs
• Larva (tadpole) lives in water but adult lives on land e.g. toad
and frog.
 Class: Reptilia
• dry, scaly skin
• lay eggs with rubbery shells
• fertilization is internal e.g. lizards and snakes

Class: Aves (birds)

• possess feathers
• lay eggs with hard shells
• Homoeothermic (warm blooded)
• have beaks or bills e.g. kite
Class: Mammalia

• Vertebrates with hair

• Have placenta
• Suckle their young
• Homoeothermic.
• Possess diaphragm e.g. Man.