Classification of microbes

(and other living things)

 Major events in the history of life:
life was originally microscopic and
unicellular
Taxonomy: the science of naming and
classifying organisms (Carolus Linnaeus)

Phylogeny: evolutionary history

Systematics: the science of classification based

on evolutionary history of organisms
 Linnaean classification system is
used today (with modifications)
• Binomial (“scientific
name”)
– Genus and species
names (specific
epithet)
• Hierarchical
classification
How is classification achieved?
• Observation
– Similarities and differences
– Fossil record
• Molecular analysis
– DNA
– Ribosomal RNA
– Mitochondrial DNA
– Proteins
 Ideas about classification have
changed
• Linnaeus- plants and animals (1735)
• Where do bacteria and fungi belong?
– Von Nägeli- with plants (1857)
– Haeckel- Kingdom Protista (1866)
• Whitaker – five kingdoms (1969)
• Woese- domains (1978)
Classification may change again
 Comparison of the three domains
Characteristic Eubacteria Archaea Eucarya
Cell type Prokaryote Prokaryote Eukaryote
Cell wall Peptidoglycan Varies Varies
Membrane Unbranched Branched Unbranched
lipids
Sensitive to Yes No No
antibiotics?
Circular No (except in
Yes Yes mitochondria and
chromosome?
chloroplasts)

Histones? No Yes Yes

 Classification of prokaryotes
• Morphology (Gram-staining)
• Nutrition
• Metabolism
• Environmental niche
• rRNA sequences (all living cells have them)
• Reference: Bergey’s Manual of Systematic
Bacteriology; Bergey’s Manual of Determinative
Bacteriology)
• Most prokaryotes have not been discovered!
 Archaea: “extreme bacteria”
• Discovered in late 1970’s
• Species live at extreme temperature, pH,
have unusual metabolic properties
• Hard to study
 Classification of eukaryotes
• Plantae- mosses, ferns, conifers, flworing plants
(some algae)
– multicellular, photosynthetic
• Animalia- sponges, worms, various vertebrates
and invertebrates
– multicellular, ingest nutrients
• Fungi (1959)- yeasts, molds, mushrooms
– Absorb nutrients, form hyphae if multicellular
• Protists- unicellular organisms
– Don’t fit anywhere else!
 Classification of viruses
• Not cellular, so are not classified in
hierarchical system
• Viral species- population of viruses with
similar characteristics and that occupy a
particular ecological niche
 Summary
• Eukaryotes are much more diverse than
prokaryotes
• Some have evolved much more recently
than others
• All are “successful” in their niche
• Classification is an ongoing process