Biology Unit 2a

Classifying Organisms and Biodiversity

Which two major groups can Plants be divided into?

Flowering plants (e.g. daises)

Non-flowering plants (e.g. mosses)

Which two major groups can Animals be divided into?

Invertebrates - which lack backbone (e.g. insects)

Vertebrates - which have a backbone(e.g. mammals)

What are morphological characteristics and what are they used for in classification?

They are features of an organism’s internal and external structure e.g. how many legs it has

They are used to classify organisms in the five-kingdom classification system.

How else can Organisms be classified?

By using DNA analysis - looking for similarities in DNA

What are the first five groups of the five-kingdom classification system?

Animals — fish, mammals

Plants — trees, grass

Fungi — mushrooms, yeasts

Bacteria — single-celled organisms without a nucleus

Single-celled organisms with a nucleus — algae

What are the next six subdivided groups the kingdoms are split into that have common features?

Phylum, class, order family, genus and species

What are the subdivided groups from the kingdoms collectively called?

A Taxonomic hierarchy

What are the groups in a classification system called?

Taxa

How does having a systematic approach to classification help scientists?

Gives better understanding of the huge variety of living organisms on Earth, as well as the relationship between them. Easier for language barriers.