Diversity of Living Things

For hundreds of years people have been trying to classify the species on our planet Earth

There are potentially hundreds of thousands new species still waiting to be discovered

With the discovery of new species classification of organisms is constantly being modified

The goal is to track evolution and determine which organisms share common ancestors

A simple system of naming organisms allows anyone in the world to discuss the same creature regardless of its common name

For example....

But, Carolus Linnaeus calls him....

Melanoplus femurrubrum

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Carl_von_Linné.jpg

Linnaeus classified organisms according to their structural similarities: this is called TAXONOMY

Each group to which Linnaeus assigned organisms is called a TAXA (singular is TAXON)

Modern taxonomy groups based on their evolutionary relatedness: this is called PHYLOGENY

Organisms share common ancestry if they show similar stages of embryological development and anatomical structures.

The 18th century Swedish naturalist Carolus Linnaeus simplified the system of naming and classifying organisms

The system, known as

binomial nomenclature is still in use today!

What are the two parts?!

Let’s find out......

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Carl_von_Linné.jpg

Linnean Classification

Kingdom

Phylum

Class

Order

Family

Genus

Species

Animalia

Chordata

Mammalia

Primates

Homonidae

Homo

sapiens

Note that the first name describes its similarity to other organisms while the second describes its uniqueness

The taxon “species” is the smallest group and it contains only a single type of organism.

The organisms in a species are most like one another—except for sexual or growth stage differences, the individuals of a species have the same body or physiological morphology.

Organisms in the same species can interbreed to produce viable offspring.

These cannot....

Similar species are grouped in the same genus Example: the bobcat and the housecat are in the

genus Felis

Genera are grouped to form families. This group’s family is Felidae

Families are grouped into Orders. These organisms are in the order Carnivora

Orders are then placed in Classes. These organisms are in the class Mammalia

Classes are grouped into Phyla. These organisms are in the phyla Chordata in the Kingdom Animalia

Archaebacteria Eubacteria Protista Fungi Plantae Animalia

How Many Kingdoms?!

Classifying KingdomsNutrition Heterotrophic

-consumes living or dead organisms to obtain energy

Autotrophic-uses sun’s energy-makes own food

# of cells Unicellular-one cell

Multicellular-more than one cell

Reproduction

Asexual-offspring produced from a single parent (genetically identical to parent

Sexual-production of offspring from fusion of 2 sex cells (offspring differ from parents)

Classifying KingdomsHabitat -where does the

organism live?

Cell Type

Prokaryotic Eukaryotic

-circular chromosome-no membrane bound organelles (e.g. no true nucleus)-very small (less than 2 um)-reproduce by binary fission

-double stranded chromosomes in nucleus-membrane bound organelles

-larger (10-100 um)

-reproduce by mitosis or meiosis