Exploring Diversity and Life Classification

Introduction What is diversity? There are many reasons for studying the diversity of living things. Scientists are eager to work hard at this task since: * Much of the earth’s incredible diversity could be lost in the future. * Knowledge of organisms is crucial for identifying those responsible for disease. * Many of our current and potential future drugs are derived from nature. So how can we define diversity? * The definition of diversity as it relates to biology (biodiversity) is “the number of different species of organisms in a certain environment.” * Biodiversity can be defined through ecosystems (plants and animals), species or genetics and is a wide-ranging field as a result. * Species are defined by their genetic integrity because they share DNA with each other. * A species can be defined as a reproductive community of populations that occupies a specific niche in nature. The classification or cataloguing of living things is called taxonomy, and biologists who classify organisms are called taxonomists. Classification involves organizing organisms into a hierarchical system. Living vs. Non-Living The Eurocentric scientific definitions of living vs. non-living are as follows; Living characteristics Non-living characteristics * Made of cells * Responds to environment * Grows and/or develops * Obtains and uses energy * Reproduces * Does not exhibit all characteristics of life Examples: * Bacteria * Plants * Animals * Fungi Examples: * Viruses * Prions Classifying Organisms – The Binomial System of Classification Carolus Linnaeus (1707 – 1778), a Swedish biologist, solved the problem of categorizing, after frequent attempts with 20-word-long names proved frustrating. He is credited with describing 7300 species and is often referred to as the “Father of Taxonomy”. Organisms named by Linnaeus have L. after the species name. For example Salmo salar L. – for the Atlantic Salmon. A good classification system: * Presents information in an orderly fashion. * Uses terms and a system that has been agreed upon by the field. * Allows for the inclusion of newly found organisms. Linnaeus placed each organism with its genus and species name, in a series of categories, or taxons, based on shared characteristics. Taxonomic/Dichotomous Keys These keys are a tool used to name and classify organisms. Most are dichotomous, meaning they consist of a series of paired statements that describe the possible organism. Each set of choices is arranged to provide smaller and smaller groups. The following taxonomic groups exist. Domain KINGDOM, Subkingdom PHYLUM, Subphylum, Superclass CLASS, Subclass, Infraclass, Cohort, Superorder ORDER, Suborder, Superfamily FAMILY, Subfamily, Tribe GENUS, Subgenus SPECIES, Subspecies * E.g. As Homo sapiens sapiens we belong to the genus Homo, species sapiens, and subspecies sapiens. * Each species is known by its “Scientific Name” according to a Binomial System of naming (binomial nomenclature) as started by Carolus Linnaeus. This system is useful because it gives every living organism two names that are recognized and used worldwide. Linnaeus first assigned to each species, a two-part Latin name, or binomial name. * The first word in the name is the genus (plural, genera), to which the species belongs, and is always capitalized. * The second word is the specific name of the species, and is always lower case. A species is defined as all those members who share the same set of structural traits, and can successfully interbreed with members of its own species. * The entire name is written in italics or underlined E.g. Felis domesticus – domestic cat Felis concolor – mountain lion, or cougar, or puma - belongs to the same genus as the domestic cat, but is a different species. They have similar teeth, feet, and claws. (Note the genus name is capitalized, but not the species). The entire name is also printed either in italics or underlined. The Genus name is often: * Descriptive, and may be with reference to prominent characteristics. * i.e. Chrysanthemum – Latin for gold flower; Sapiens - wise * Given in honour of a person. * i.e. Fuschia – plant named after Fuchs * Based on ethnic origins. * i.e. Aboriginal names – Quercus – oak; Bitula – birch The species names are often descriptive as well: * Ursus americanus – American black bear * Ursus horribilis – grizzly bear * Canis familiaris – domestic dog The scientific name cannot be confused with any other name, unlike the confusion that often surrounds the common name, such as with the mountain lion above. I.e. is a seahorse really a horse, does a spider monkey have eight legs, or is a groundhog a pig? Consider jellyfish, starfish, crayfish, silverfish, catfish – are they similar? * By maintaining a library of specimens, a reference base for naming new species is established. An international committee makes certain that once a scientific name for a new organism has been chosen, it is used consistently. The Kingdoms of Life * In 1959 Robert Whittaker proposed the five kingdom system. * The five kingdoms of life are as follows: Monera: Single celled prokaryotes split into two subkingdoms: * These initial subkingdoms were later separated into 2 kingdoms after Carl Woese’s RNA research in the 1970’s suggested vast differences between these two groups of bacteria: * Eubacteria: Include the familiar bacteria such as the ones that cause teeth to decay, and milk to sour. * Archaebacteria: are single celled prokaryotes that have distinctive membranes. Protista: Single celled eukaryotes containing well-defined cell organelles. Includes: * Paramecia * Amoebae * A variety of algae Fungi: The group of organisms that are multicellular and absorb their food (rather than ingesting it). Includes: * Mushrooms * Molds Plantae: The plants are mostly multi-cellular autotrophs including: * Some algae * Mosses * Ferns * Gymnosperms * Angiosperms (Flowering plants) Animalia: These are multicellular heterotrophs that: * Lack cellulose * Usually exhibit movement * Develop from embryos Domains or ‘Superkingdoms’ In 1990 Carl Woese came up with a different classification system that defined all living things into 3 domains or superkingdoms. 1. Domain Archaea 1. Organisms that live in extreme environments such as high temperatures or extreme salinity or produce methane gas 2. All members of this domain: 1. Have prokaryotic cells * No organized nucleus * Do not have any organelles 2. Are single celled organisms 3. Are biochemically and genetically distinct from bacteria in that their RNA contains distinct sequences. 2. Domain Bacteria 1. Known as “true” bacteria 2. All members of this domain: 1. Contain cell walls that contain the protein peptidoglycan which keeps them separate from the Domain Archaeans 2. Contain cells that do not have a nucleus 3. Are single celled organisms 4. Lack chlorophyll 3. Domain Eukarya 1. Animals, plants, fungi, and protists 2. All members of this domain: 1. Have cells that contain a nucleus 2. Have membrane bound organelles such as mitochondria and chloroplasts 3. Can be unicellular or multicellular Kingdoms of Life: Facts (Science Trek: Idaho Public Television) Overview and Criteria of the Five Kingdoms of Life We will be taking a closer look at each individual kingdom and the associated characteristics of each. We will focus on the following characteristics: * Type of Cell * Complexity * Type of Nutrition * Motility * Reproduction (usually, sometimes) * Nervous System Kingdom Monera Cell Type Prokaryotic cells * Do not contain a “true” nucleus * Singular strand of genetic material * Cytoplasm * Chlorophyll but not in chloroplasts Complexity Unicellular Originally classified as two sub-kingdoms (now separate kingdoms): * Archaebacteria * Members of this kingdom are very primitive bacteria, and tend to inhabit harsh environments such as acidic sulphurous hot springs, salty lakes, and the inside of a cow’s stomach. * They differ from “true” bacteria in their cell membranes, cell walls, and some aspects of protein synthesis. * Eubacteria * Two phyla: Bacteria and Cyanobacteria * Bacteria can be distinguished due to their shape Shape: Round: Called cocci: * if the spheres appear in clumps, they are called staphylococcus * if they appear in pairs they are called diplococcus * if they appear in chains they are called streptococcus Rod-shaped: Called bacilli Spiral-shaped: Called spirilli Curved rod-shaped: Called vibrios * Cyanobacteria * ~1500 known species. * They’ve been around for over 3.5 billion years. * Found in: * Green scum atop swimming pools or polluted lakes and ponds * Covering seashore rocks * Shower stalls and drains Type of Nutrition Autotrophic or heterotrophic Motility Flagella Reproduction Reproduce on their own Nervous System None Examples of Kingdom Monera: Moneran Cell E.coli Bacterial Cell Shapes monera ecoli Cyanobacteria cyanobacteria Kingdom Protista Cell Type Eukaryotes Membrane bound nucleus Lysosomes ER Mitochondria Golgi bodies Ribosomes Chlorophyll in chloroplasts Complexity Unicellular - Two phyla of protists are: algae and protozoans ALGAE – plant like * Algae are plant-like microorganisms * Algae cells contain chloroplasts and produce oxygen through photosynthesis. * 75% or more of the oxygen in the planet’s atmosphere is actually produced by photosynthetic algae and cyanobacteria. * Algae also play an important role as the foundation for the aquatic food chain. * Most algae live in water, some in moist soil, and others join with fungi to form lichens. * Algae found in bodies of fresh and saltwater globally. Can also grow on rocks and trees and in soil if moisture is available PROTOZOA – animal like * Protozoa found in soil environments from peat bogs to arid desert sands. They teem in the deep sea as well as near the surface of waters, and can be found even in frigid Arctic and Antarctic waters. * Some species of protozoa are part of the normal microbial flora of animals, and live in the guts of insects and mammals * A very small number of species cause disease in people, including Plasmodium vivax, which causes malaria. * Protozoa mainly feed on bacteria, can also eat other protozoa, bits of stuff that has come off of other living things—what's generally called organic matter—and sometimes fungi. * All digest their food in stomach-like compartments called vacuoles. As they do, they make and give off nitrogen, which is an element that plants and other higher creatures can use. Type of Nutrition Autotrophs or Heterotrophs Motility Cilia, flagella, or pseudopodia Reproduction Asexual or Sexual reproduction Nervous System None Examples of Kingdom Protista Algae Protozoan protozoan 1 algae protozoan algae 1 Kingdom Fungi Cell Type Eukaryotes * Lack chloroplasts (don’t photosynthesize) * Have cell wall Complexity Multicellular Fungi are composed of filaments called hyphae, their cells are long and thread like and are connected end to end. The body of fungi is given a special name – mycelium which applies to the whole body of any fungus. Type of Nutrition Heterotrophs Absorb their food Motility No motility Reproduction Mainly asexual reproduction but some sexual reproduction Nervous System None Examples of Kingdom Fungi Mushroom Bread Mold fungi 1 bread mush Kingdom Plantae Cell Type Eukaryotes * Well-developed tissues * Plants live in a wide variety of habitats that provide light, carbon dioxide and oxygen. * Most plant growth is indeterminate – as they grow from the tips and in girth. * Cell wall present Complexity Multicellular A general plant body consists of (flowers may or may not be present as well): * Roots: 2 general types: tap roots and fibrous roots. Function in: * Anchorage * Absorption and transport of water and dissolved minerals * Food storage * Support * Stems: Function in: * Transport of materials between leaves and roots (water, food) * Photosynthesis * Support * Leaves: Consist of blade (or lamina), and petiole (stalk). Function in: * Photosynthesis * Transpiration Subdivided into 2 major divisions based on their tissue structure: 1. Bryophyta – includes mosses, liverworts and hornworts these are non-vascular and have to be quite small 2. Tracheophyta – includes ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms which are vascular ** Vascularization has adapted plants to life on land. Vascular Plants have true conducting tissue in roots, stems and leaves. Tracheophyta can be further divided into other classes including gymnosperms and angiosperms 1. Class Gymnospermae (Gymnosperms): * Have vascular conducting tissue. * Seeds are “naked”, exposed on surface of scales within cones. * Include conifers (redwoods, pines). 2. Class Angiospermae (Angiosperms): * Flowering plants. * Angiosperms “do it with a little help” – they attract animals for pollination (flowers and pollinators have co-evolved – for example, blue, yellow and UV colours are within of bee sight and may lead bee to nectar at flower base), and also rely on wind, etc. to transfer pollen. * Produce seeds enclosed by fruit * Includes hardwood trees, and herbaceous or non-woody plants including grasses and garden plants. Type of Nutrition Autotrophs Motility Not motile (must really adapt to their environment) Reproduction Reproduction is often difficult since plants are not mobile, and therefore a plant must use agents of some kind to transfer gametes: wind, insects/birds, water. Sperm is generally motile in the sense that it can be carried by some kind of agent. Nervous System None Examples of Kingdom Plantae General Structure Seed Comparison Gymnosperm Angiosperm angio acorn angio 1 plant Introduction to Vascular Plant Structure | Digital Atlas of Ancient Life A Future Educator Kingdom Animalia Cell Type Eukaryotic * Membrane bound organelles * Nucleus present in all cells * Diploid * Body cavity for digestion * Embryonic stages Complexity Multicellular Categorized into 9 phyla: 1. Porifera (Sponges) jelly por 3. Platyhelminthes (Flatworms): flatworms or planaria, flukes, tapeworms tape flat 4. Nematoda (Nematodes): roundworms round star urch sea cuc 6. Mollusca (Molluscs): snails, clams, squid, octopus squid snail clam 7.. Annelida (Annelids or segmented worms): earthworms, leeches leech lm 8. Arthropoda (Arthropods): crustaceans, spiders, insects, ticks, millipedes, centipedes crust2 crust cent 9. Chordata (Chordates and Vertebrates): fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals rep bear fish Type of Nutrition Heterotrophs Ingest their food. Motility Mobile during at least part of their life cycle Reproduction Sexual Nervous System YES kingdom Animalia Flashcards | Quizlet Worksheet Using your notes, answer the following questions. 1. How are the members of Kingdom Eubacteria similar to members of Kingdom Protista? 2. How are members of Kingdom Eubacteria different from members of Kingdom Protista? 3. How do fungi get their food? 4. Why are plants and fungi placed in separate kingdoms? 5. How do you think technology has affected how organisms are classified now compared to early classification? 6. You are a taxonomist who has just discovered a new organism and you have to place it into one of the kingdoms. The organism seems to make its own food by utilizing its chlorophyll. The organism is only one cell big and is capable of moving freely. In addition to chlorophyll, the organism has several other organelles, including a nucleus. Which kingdom does your organism belong to? Support your answer with facts! 7. Which two domains contain organisms that do not have a nucleus in their cells? 8. Which organisms in Domain Eukarya can make their own food? 9. Which two domains have ONLY unicellular organisms? 10. I found a new organism that was one cell big, could make its own food, had a nucleus in its cell, but did not contain a cell wall. Which Domain would you classify it in? Why? Which Kingdom? Why? The “Five” Kingdoms of Life Multicellular or Unicellular Cell wall or No Cell wall Eukaryote or Prokaryote Autotroph or Heterotroph Stationary or Mobile Monera Archaeabacteria Eubacteria Protista Fungi Plantae Animalia The Domains of Life Archaea Bacteria Eukarya Multicellular or Unicellular Cell Wall or No Cell Wall Eukaryote or Prokaryote Autotroph or Heterotroph Stationary or Mobile The “Five” Kingdoms of Life Multicellular or Unicellular Cell wall or No Cell wall Eukaryote or Prokaryote Autotroph or Heterotroph Stationary or Mobile Monera Archaeabacteria Unicellular Cell wall Prokaryotic Either Mobile Eubacteria Unicellular Cell wall of peptidoglycan Prokaryotic Either Mobile Protista Unicellular No cell wall (usually) Eukaryotic Either Mobile Fungi Unicellular or multicellular Cell wall Eukaryotic Heterotroph Stationary Plantae Multicellular Cell wall Eukaryotic Autotroph Stationary Animalia Multicellular No cell wall Eukaryotic Heterotroph Mobile The Domains of Life Archaea Bacteria Eukarya Multicellular or Unicellular Unicellular Unicellular Unicellular or Multicellular Cell Wall or No Cell Wall Cell wall Cell wall of peptidoglycan Either Eukaryote or Prokaryote Prokaryote Prokaryote Eukaryote Autotroph or Heterotroph Either Either Either Stationary or Mobile Mobile Mobile Either Using your notes, answer the following questions. 1. How are the members of Kingdom Eubacteria similar to members of Kingdom Protista? Both unicellular, motile/mobile, autotrophic or heterotrophic 2. How are members of Kingdom Eubacteria different from members of Kingdom Protista? Prokaryotic (eubacteria) vs. eukaryotic (Protista) Cell wall (eubacteria) vs. no cell wall (Protista) 3. How do fungi get their food? Absorb their nutrients 4. Why are plants and fungi placed in separate kingdoms? Plants are autotrophic while fungi are heterotrophic (Plants are all multicellular as well) 5. How do you think technology has affected how organisms are classified now compared to early classification? More advanced technology allows for greater comparison/more detailed comparison of organisms as compared to before. In the past, classification relied on physical appearance and behaviors whereas now we can also look at DNA, RNA, protein structure etc. 6. You are a taxonomist who has just discovered a new organism and you have to place it into one of the kingdoms. The organism seems to make its own food by utilizing its chlorophyll. The organism is only one cell big and is capable of moving freely. In addition to chlorophyll, the organism has several other organelles, including a nucleus. Which kingdom does your organism belong to? Support your answer with facts! Chlorophyll = photosynthetic One cell = eubacteria, archaea or protists Nucleus = eukaryote (so can’t be eubacteria or archaea) This organism would be classified in kingdom Protista. Protists are the only single celled, eukaryotic organisms. Protists are also able to photosynthesize (in some cases) 7. Which two domains contain organisms that do not have a nucleus in their cells? Domains Archaeabacteria and Eubacteria are prokaryotes and therefore do not have a nucleus in their cells. 8. Which organisms in Domain Eukarya can make their own food? “Making their own food” in Domain Eukarya means that they can photosynthesize so kingdoms plantae and protista can both photosynthesize. 9. Which two domains have ONLY unicellular organisms? Domains Archaeabacteria and Eubacteria have only unicellular organisms. Domain Eukarya contains unicellular organisms but also includes organisms that are multicellular. 10. I found a new organism that was one cell big, could make its own food, had a nucleus in its cell, but did not contain a cell wall. Which Domain would you classify it in? Why? Which Kingdom? Why? Domain: Eukarya 🡪 has a nucleus Kingdom: Protista 🡪 only eukaryotic kingdom that are single celled organisms. Some protists can photosynthesize and don’t have a cell wall. What is the ecological importance of each of the five kingdoms? Ecological Importance of Kingdom Monera: 1. Monerans are the main decomposers in many ecosystems, breaking down dead organic matter and returning the nutrients to the soil to enter the food web again. 2. Some monerans are photosynthetic (the cyanobacteria that used to be called blue-green algae), and are important producers in damp or aquatic ecosystems. 3. Some monerans fix nitrogen, taking nitrogen gas from the air and changing it to compound form that producers can take up. 4. Bacteria live in the digestive systems of animals from termites to large mammals, helping them handle the food they eat. 5. Bacteria cause diseases and infections Ecological Importance of Kingdom Protista: 1. Photosynthetic protists serve as producers of nutrition for other organisms. 2. Protists have a symbiotic relationship with coral reefs; the protists act as a food source for coral and the coral provides shelter and compounds for photosynthesis for the protists. 3. Protists feed a large portion of the world's aquatic species and conduct a quarter of the world's photosynthesis. 4. Protists help land-dwelling animals such as cockroaches and termites digest cellulose. Ecological Importance of Kingdom Fungi: 1. Fungi are essential to the recycling of nutrients in all terrestrial habitats because they are the dominant decomposers of the complex components of plant debris, such as cellulose and lignin. 2. As heterotrophs, they have evolved hyphae to penetrate solid substrates, and spores for long‐range dispersal. 3. They cause many diseases of plants and animals, but they also have established mutualistic symbioses with a wide range of organisms like cyanobacteria and green algae, gymnosperms and angiosperms. 4. As parasites or pathogens they are well equipped to penetrate host organisms and to liberate spores that will effectively transmit them from one host to the next, and many species produce toxic compounds (mycotoxins). Ecological Importance of Kingdom Plantae: 1. Plants are essential to the balance of nature and in people's lives. 2. Green plants, i.e., those possessing chlorophyll, manufacture their own food and give off oxygen in the process called photosynthesis, in which water and carbon dioxide are combined by the energy of light. 3. Plants are the ultimate source of food and metabolic energy for nearly all animals, which cannot manufacture their own food. 4. Besides foods (e.g., grains, fruits, and vegetables), plant products vital to humans include wood and wood products, fibers, drugs, oils, latex, pigments, and resins. 5. Coal and petroleum are fossil substances of plant origin. 6. Thus plants provide people not only sustenance but shelter, clothing, medicines, fuels, and the raw materials from which innumerable other products are made. Ecological Importance of Kingdom Animalia: Animals help to keep plant species from overcrowding each other by eating them. 1. Many animals help to spread the seeds of plants, either by carrying them on their fur by accident, or by swallowing seeds they can't digest when they eat fruit and later depositing the seeds elsewhere in their excrement. 2. Specific animals, especially bees, pollinate most modern species of flowering plants, allowing them to create seeds and reproduce. 3. Animals help to recycle nutrients in the ecosystem so that plants can use them again (i.e., earthworms eat dead plant material, making its nutrients bioavailable for plants; all animals release carbon dioxide, which allows plants to make food; etc.). 4. Additionally, some animals specifically alter the ecosystem allowing for certain plants to grow (i.e., beaver dams create wetlands, elephants clear trees allowing for more grasses and shrubs to grow in the savanna, etc). Summary/Notes:

The classification or cataloguing of living things is called taxonomy, and biologists who classify organisms are called taxonomists.  Classification involves organizing organisms into a hierarchical system.

Living vs. Non-Living
The Eurocentric scientific definitions of living vs. non-living are as follows;

Living characteristics
	Non-living characteristics
	* Made of cells
* Responds to environment
* Grows and/or develops
* Obtains and uses energy
* Reproduces

* Does not exhibit all characteristics of life

Examples:
* Bacteria
* Plants
* Animals
* Fungi 
	Examples:
* Viruses
* Prions

Classifying Organisms – The Binomial System of Classification 
Carolus Linnaeus (1707 – 1778), a Swedish biologist, solved the problem of categorizing, after frequent attempts with 20-word-long names proved frustrating.  He is credited with describing 7300 species and is often referred to as the “Father of Taxonomy”. Organisms named by Linnaeus have L. after the species name. For example Salmo salar L. – for the Atlantic Salmon.   
A good classification system:
* Presents information in an orderly fashion.
* Uses terms and a system that has been agreed upon by the field.
* Allows for the inclusion of newly found organisms.
Linnaeus placed each organism with its genus and species name, in a series of categories, or taxons, based on shared characteristics.

Taxonomic/Dichotomous Keys
These keys are a tool used to name and classify organisms.  Most are dichotomous, meaning they consist of a series of paired statements that describe the possible organism.  Each set of choices is arranged to provide smaller and smaller groups.

The following taxonomic groups exist.
Domain
KINGDOM, Subkingdom
                PHYLUM, Subphylum, Superclass
                        CLASS, Subclass, Infraclass, Cohort, Superorder
                                ORDER, Suborder, Superfamily
                                        FAMILY, Subfamily, Tribe
                                                GENUS, Subgenus
                                                        SPECIES, Subspecies
* E.g.  As Homo sapiens sapiens we belong to the genus Homo, species sapiens, and subspecies sapiens. 
* Each species is known by its “Scientific Name” according to a Binomial System of naming (binomial nomenclature) as started by Carolus Linnaeus.  This system is useful because it gives every living organism two names that are recognized and used worldwide.

Linnaeus first assigned to each species, a two-part Latin name, or binomial name.  
* The first word in the name is the genus (plural, genera), to which the species belongs, and is always capitalized.
* The second word is the specific name of the species, and is always lower case.  A species is defined as all those members who share the same set of structural traits, and can successfully interbreed with members of its own species.
* The entire name is written in italics or underlined
E.g.          Felis domesticus – domestic cat
Felis concolor – mountain lion, or cougar, or puma - belongs to the same genus as the domestic cat, but is a different species.  They have similar teeth, feet, and claws.   (Note the genus name is capitalized, but not the species).  The entire name is also printed either in italics or underlined.

The Genus name is often:
* Descriptive, and may be with reference to prominent characteristics.       
   * i.e.  Chrysanthemum – Latin for gold flower; Sapiens - wise
* Given in honour of a person.  
   * i.e.  Fuschia – plant named after Fuchs
* Based on ethnic origins.  
   * i.e. Aboriginal names – Quercus – oak; Bitula – birch

The species names are often descriptive as well:
* Ursus americanus – American black bear
* Ursus horribilis – grizzly bear
* Canis familiaris – domestic dog

The scientific name cannot be confused with any other name, unlike the confusion that often surrounds the common name, such as with the mountain lion above.  I.e. is a seahorse really a horse, does a spider monkey have eight legs, or is a groundhog a pig?  Consider jellyfish, starfish, crayfish, silverfish, catfish – are they similar?
* By maintaining a library of specimens, a reference base for naming new species is established.  An international committee makes certain that once a scientific name for a new organism has been chosen, it is used consistently.

The Kingdoms of Life
* In 1959 Robert Whittaker proposed the five kingdom system. 
* The five kingdoms of life are as follows: 
Monera:  Single celled prokaryotes split into two subkingdoms:
* These initial subkingdoms were later separated into 2 kingdoms after Carl Woese’s RNA research in the 1970’s suggested vast differences between these two groups of bacteria:
   * Eubacteria:  Include the familiar bacteria such as the ones that cause teeth to decay, and milk to sour.
   * Archaebacteria:  are single celled prokaryotes that have distinctive membranes.
Protista:  Single celled eukaryotes containing well-defined cell organelles.  Includes:
* Paramecia
* Amoebae
* A variety of algae
Fungi:  The group of organisms that are multicellular and absorb their food (rather than ingesting it).  Includes:
* Mushrooms
* Molds
Plantae:  The plants are mostly multi-cellular autotrophs including:
* Some algae
* Mosses
* Ferns
* Gymnosperms
* Angiosperms (Flowering plants)
Animalia:  These are multicellular heterotrophs that:
* Lack cellulose
* Usually exhibit movement
* Develop from embryos

Domains or ‘Superkingdoms’
In 1990 Carl Woese came up with a different classification system that defined all living things into 3 domains or superkingdoms.

1. Domain Archaea 
   1. Organisms that live in extreme environments such as high temperatures or extreme salinity or produce methane gas
   2. All members of this domain:
      1. Have prokaryotic cells 
         * No organized nucleus
         * Do not have any organelles
      2. Are single celled organisms
      3. Are biochemically and genetically distinct from bacteria in that their RNA contains distinct sequences. 
2. Domain Bacteria
   1. Known as “true” bacteria 
   2. All members of this domain:
      1. Contain cell walls that contain the protein peptidoglycan which keeps them separate from the Domain Archaeans
      2. Contain cells that do not have a nucleus
      3. Are single celled organisms
      4. Lack chlorophyll
3. Domain Eukarya
   1. Animals, plants, fungi, and protists
   2. All members of this domain:
      1. Have cells that contain a nucleus
      2. Have membrane bound organelles such as mitochondria and chloroplasts
      3. Can be unicellular or multicellular

Kingdoms of Life: Facts (Science Trek: Idaho Public Television)

Overview and Criteria of the Five Kingdoms of Life  
We will be taking a closer look at each individual kingdom and the associated characteristics of each. We will focus on the following characteristics:
* Type of Cell
* Complexity
* Type of Nutrition
* Motility
* Reproduction (usually, sometimes)
* Nervous System

Kingdom Monera
	Cell Type
	Prokaryotic cells
* Do not contain a “true” nucleus
* Singular strand of genetic material
* Cytoplasm
* Chlorophyll but not in chloroplasts
	Complexity
	Unicellular 
Originally classified as two sub-kingdoms (now separate kingdoms):
* Archaebacteria
   * Members of this kingdom are very primitive bacteria, and tend to inhabit harsh environments such as acidic sulphurous hot springs, salty lakes, and the inside of a cow’s stomach.  
   * They differ from “true” bacteria in their cell membranes, cell walls, and some aspects of protein synthesis.
* Eubacteria
   * Two phyla: Bacteria and Cyanobacteria
   * Bacteria can be distinguished due to their shape
Shape:  
Round:  Called cocci:
   * if the spheres appear in clumps, they are called staphylococcus 
   * if they appear in pairs they are called diplococcus
   * if they appear in chains they are called streptococcus
Rod-shaped:  Called bacilli
Spiral-shaped:  Called spirilli
Curved rod-shaped:  Called vibrios
   * Cyanobacteria
      * ~1500 known species.
      * They’ve been around for over 3.5 billion years.
      * Found in:
         * Green scum atop swimming pools or polluted lakes and ponds
         * Covering seashore rocks
         * Shower stalls and drains
	Type of Nutrition
	Autotrophic or heterotrophic
	Motility
	Flagella 
	Reproduction
	Reproduce on their own
	Nervous System
	None

Examples of Kingdom Monera:
Moneran Cell                         E.coli                                Bacterial Cell Shapes
  
 monera 
 ecoli

Cyanobacteria cyanobacteria

Kingdom Protista
	Cell Type
	Eukaryotes
Membrane bound nucleus                Lysosomes
ER                                                          Mitochondria
Golgi bodies                                         Ribosomes
Chlorophyll in chloroplasts
	Complexity
	Unicellular - Two phyla of protists are: algae and protozoans
ALGAE – plant like 
* Algae are plant-like microorganisms 
* Algae cells contain chloroplasts and produce oxygen through photosynthesis.
* 75% or more of the oxygen in the planet’s atmosphere is actually produced by photosynthetic algae and cyanobacteria.
* Algae also play an important role as the foundation for the aquatic food chain. 
* Most algae live in water, some in moist soil, and others join with fungi to form lichens.
* Algae found in bodies of fresh and saltwater globally. Can also grow on rocks and trees and in soil if moisture is available
PROTOZOA – animal like
* Protozoa found in soil environments from peat bogs to arid desert sands. They teem in the deep sea as well as near the surface of waters, and can be found even in frigid Arctic and Antarctic waters. 
* Some species of protozoa are part of the normal microbial flora of animals, and live in the guts of insects and mammals
* A very small number of species cause disease in people, including Plasmodium vivax, which causes malaria. 
* Protozoa mainly feed on bacteria, can also eat other protozoa, bits of stuff that has come off of other living things—what's generally called organic matter—and sometimes fungi.
* All digest their food in stomach-like compartments called vacuoles. As they do, they make and give off nitrogen, which is an element that plants and other higher creatures can use.
	Type of Nutrition
	Autotrophs or Heterotrophs 
	Motility
	Cilia, flagella, or pseudopodia
	Reproduction
	Asexual or Sexual reproduction
	Nervous System
	None
	Examples of Kingdom Protista
Algae                                                        Protozoan protozoan 1 
 algae 
 protozoan 
 algae 1

Kingdom Fungi
	Cell Type
	Eukaryotes
* Lack chloroplasts (don’t photosynthesize)
* Have cell wall
	Complexity
	Multicellular

Fungi are composed of filaments called hyphae, their cells are long and thread like and are connected end to end. The body of fungi is given a special name – mycelium which applies to the whole body of any fungus.

Type of Nutrition
	Heterotrophs

Absorb their food
	Motility
	No motility 
	Reproduction
	Mainly asexual reproduction but some sexual reproduction
	Nervous System
	None
	Examples of Kingdom Fungi
Mushroom                                Bread Mold fungi 1  bread 
 mush

Kingdom Plantae
	Cell Type
	Eukaryotes
* Well-developed tissues
* Plants live in a wide variety of habitats that provide light, carbon dioxide and oxygen.
* Most plant growth is indeterminate – as they grow from the tips and in girth.
* Cell wall present
	Complexity
	Multicellular
A general plant body consists of (flowers may or may not be present as well):
   * Roots: 2 general types:  tap roots and fibrous roots.  Function in:
      * Anchorage
      * Absorption and transport of water and dissolved minerals
      * Food storage
      * Support 
   * Stems:  Function in:
      * Transport of materials between leaves and roots (water, food)
      * Photosynthesis
      * Support
   * Leaves:  Consist of blade (or lamina), and petiole (stalk).  Function in:
      * Photosynthesis
      * Transpiration
Subdivided into 2 major divisions based on their tissue structure:
1. Bryophyta – includes mosses, liverworts and hornworts these are non-vascular and have to be quite small
2. Tracheophyta – includes ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms which are vascular 
** Vascularization has adapted plants to life on land.
     Vascular Plants have true conducting tissue in roots, stems and leaves.
Tracheophyta can be further divided into other classes including gymnosperms and angiosperms 
1. Class Gymnospermae (Gymnosperms): 
* Have vascular conducting tissue.
* Seeds are “naked”, exposed on surface of scales within cones.
* Include conifers (redwoods, pines).
2. Class Angiospermae (Angiosperms):  
* Flowering plants.
* Angiosperms “do it with a little help” – they attract animals for pollination (flowers and pollinators have co-evolved – for example, blue, yellow and UV colours are within of bee sight and may lead bee to nectar at flower base), and also rely on wind, etc. to transfer pollen.
* Produce seeds enclosed by fruit 
* Includes hardwood trees, and herbaceous or non-woody plants including grasses and garden plants.
	Type of Nutrition
	Autotrophs 
	Motility
	Not motile (must really adapt to their environment)
	Reproduction
	Reproduction is often difficult since plants are not mobile, and therefore a plant must use agents of some kind to transfer gametes:  wind, insects/birds, water.
Sperm is generally motile in the sense that it can be carried by some kind of agent. 
	Nervous System
	None
	Examples of Kingdom Plantae
General Structure        Seed Comparison                             Gymnosperm                Angiosperm angio  acorn  angio 1 
                 plant

Introduction to Vascular Plant Structure | Digital Atlas of Ancient Life

A Future Educator

Kingdom Animalia
	Cell Type
	Eukaryotic
* Membrane bound organelles
* Nucleus present in all cells
* Diploid
* Body cavity for digestion
* Embryonic stages
	Complexity
	Multicellular
Categorized into 9 phyla:  
1. Porifera (Sponges)                      jelly 
 por

3. Platyhelminthes (Flatworms):  flatworms or planaria, flukes, tapeworms
 tape 
 flat

4. Nematoda (Nematodes):  roundworms  
 round

star 
 urch 
 sea cuc

6. Mollusca (Molluscs):  snails, clams, squid, octopus squid 
 snail 
 clam

7.. Annelida (Annelids or segmented worms):  earthworms, leeches 
 leech 
 lm

8. Arthropoda (Arthropods):  crustaceans, spiders, insects, ticks, millipedes, centipedes crust2 
 crust 
 cent

9. Chordata (Chordates and Vertebrates):  fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals
 rep 
 bear 
 fish

Type of Nutrition
	Heterotrophs 
Ingest their food.
	Motility
	Mobile during at least part of their life cycle
	Reproduction
	Sexual
	Nervous System
	YES

kingdom Animalia Flashcards | Quizlet

Worksheet
Using your notes, answer the following questions.
            1. How are the members of Kingdom Eubacteria similar to members of Kingdom Protista?

2. How are members of Kingdom Eubacteria different from members of Kingdom Protista?

3. How do fungi get their food?

4. Why are plants and fungi placed in separate kingdoms?

5. How do you think technology has affected how organisms are classified now compared to early classification?

6. You are a taxonomist who has just discovered a new organism and you have to place it into one of the kingdoms.  The organism seems to make its own food by utilizing its chlorophyll.  The organism is only one cell big and is capable of moving freely.  In addition to chlorophyll, the organism has several other organelles, including a nucleus.  Which kingdom does your organism belong to?  Support your answer with facts!

7. Which two domains contain organisms that do not have a nucleus in their cells?

8. Which organisms in Domain Eukarya can make their own food?

9. Which two domains have ONLY unicellular organisms?

10. I found a new organism that was one cell big, could make its own food, had a nucleus in its cell, but did not contain a cell wall.  Which Domain would you classify it in?  Why?  Which Kingdom?  Why?

The “Five” Kingdoms of Life

Multicellular or Unicellular
	Cell wall 
or 
No Cell wall
	Eukaryote or Prokaryote
	Autotroph or Heterotroph
	Stationary 
or Mobile

Monera
	Archaeabacteria

Eubacteria

Protista

Fungi

Plantae

Animalia

The Domains of Life

Archaea
	Bacteria
	Eukarya
	Multicellular or Unicellular

Cell Wall or No Cell Wall

Eukaryote or Prokaryote

Autotroph or Heterotroph

Stationary or Mobile

The “Five” Kingdoms of Life

Multicellular or Unicellular
	Cell wall 
or 
No Cell wall
	Eukaryote or Prokaryote
	Autotroph or Heterotroph
	Stationary 
or Mobile

Monera
	Archaeabacteria
	Unicellular
	Cell wall
	Prokaryotic
	Either
	Mobile
	Eubacteria
	Unicellular
	Cell wall of peptidoglycan
	Prokaryotic
	Either
	Mobile
	Protista
	Unicellular
	No cell wall (usually)
	Eukaryotic
	Either
	Mobile
	Fungi
	Unicellular or multicellular
	Cell wall
	Eukaryotic
	Heterotroph
	Stationary
	Plantae
	Multicellular
	Cell wall
	Eukaryotic
	Autotroph
	Stationary
	Animalia
	Multicellular
	No cell wall
	Eukaryotic
	Heterotroph
	Mobile

The Domains of Life

Archaea
	Bacteria
	Eukarya
	Multicellular or Unicellular
	Unicellular
	Unicellular
	Unicellular or Multicellular
	Cell Wall or No Cell Wall
	Cell wall
	Cell wall of peptidoglycan
	Either
	Eukaryote or Prokaryote
	Prokaryote
	Prokaryote
	Eukaryote
	Autotroph or Heterotroph
	Either
	Either
	Either
	Stationary or Mobile
	Mobile
	Mobile
	Either

Using your notes, answer the following questions.
            1. How are the members of Kingdom Eubacteria similar to members of Kingdom Protista?
Both unicellular, motile/mobile, autotrophic or heterotrophic

2. How are members of Kingdom Eubacteria different from members of Kingdom Protista?
Prokaryotic (eubacteria) vs. eukaryotic (Protista)
Cell wall (eubacteria) vs. no cell wall (Protista)

3. How do fungi get their food?
Absorb their nutrients

4. Why are plants and fungi placed in separate kingdoms?
Plants are autotrophic while fungi are heterotrophic
(Plants are all multicellular as well)

5. How do you think technology has affected how organisms are classified now compared to early classification?
More advanced technology allows for greater comparison/more detailed comparison of organisms as compared to before.  In the past, classification relied on physical appearance and behaviors whereas now we can also look at DNA, RNA, protein structure etc.

This organism would be classified in kingdom Protista.  Protists are the only single celled, eukaryotic organisms.  Protists are also able to photosynthesize (in some cases)

7. Which two domains contain organisms that do not have a nucleus in their cells?
Domains Archaeabacteria and Eubacteria are prokaryotes and therefore do not have a nucleus in their cells.

8. Which organisms in Domain Eukarya can make their own food?
“Making their own food” in Domain Eukarya means that they can photosynthesize so kingdoms plantae and protista can both photosynthesize.

9. Which two domains have ONLY unicellular organisms?
Domains Archaeabacteria and Eubacteria have only unicellular organisms.
Domain Eukarya contains unicellular organisms but also includes organisms that are multicellular.

Kingdom: Protista 🡪 only eukaryotic kingdom that are single celled organisms.  Some protists can photosynthesize and don’t have a cell wall.

What is the ecological importance of each of the five kingdoms?

Ecological Importance of Kingdom Monera:

1. Monerans are the main decomposers in many ecosystems, breaking down dead organic matter and returning the nutrients to the soil to enter the food web again.

2. Some monerans are photosynthetic (the cyanobacteria that used to be called blue-green algae), and are important producers in damp or aquatic ecosystems.

3. Some monerans fix nitrogen, taking nitrogen gas from the air and changing it to compound form that producers can take up.

4. Bacteria live in the digestive systems of animals from termites to large mammals, helping them handle the food they eat.

5. Bacteria cause diseases and infections

Ecological Importance of Kingdom Protista:

1. Photosynthetic protists serve as producers of nutrition for other organisms.

2. Protists have a symbiotic relationship with coral reefs; the protists act as a food source for coral and the coral provides shelter and compounds for photosynthesis for the protists.

3. Protists feed a large portion of the world's aquatic species and conduct a quarter of the world's photosynthesis.

4. Protists help land-dwelling animals such as cockroaches and termites digest cellulose.

Ecological Importance of Kingdom Fungi:

1. Fungi are essential to the recycling of nutrients in all terrestrial habitats because they are the dominant decomposers of the complex components of plant debris, such as cellulose and lignin.

2. As heterotrophs, they have evolved hyphae to penetrate solid substrates, and spores for long‐range dispersal.

3. They cause many diseases of plants and animals, but they also have established mutualistic symbioses with a wide range of organisms like cyanobacteria and green algae, gymnosperms and angiosperms.

4. As parasites or pathogens they are well equipped to penetrate host organisms and to liberate spores that will effectively transmit them from one host to the next, and many species produce toxic compounds (mycotoxins).

Ecological Importance of Kingdom Plantae:

1. Plants are essential to the balance of nature and in people's lives.

2. Green plants, i.e., those possessing chlorophyll, manufacture their own food and give off oxygen in the process called photosynthesis, in which water and carbon dioxide are combined by the energy of light.

3. Plants are the ultimate source of food and metabolic energy for nearly all animals, which cannot manufacture their own food.

4. Besides foods (e.g., grains, fruits, and vegetables), plant products vital to humans include wood and wood products, fibers, drugs, oils, latex, pigments, and resins.

5. Coal and petroleum are fossil substances of plant origin.

6. Thus plants provide people not only sustenance but shelter, clothing, medicines, fuels, and the raw materials from which innumerable other products are made.

Ecological Importance of Kingdom Animalia:
Animals help to keep plant species from overcrowding each other by eating them. 
            1. Many animals help to spread the seeds of plants, either by carrying them on their fur by accident, or by swallowing seeds they can't digest when they eat fruit and later depositing the seeds elsewhere in their excrement. 
            2. Specific animals, especially bees, pollinate most modern species of flowering plants, allowing them to create seeds and reproduce. 
            3. Animals help to recycle nutrients in the ecosystem so that plants can use them again (i.e., earthworms eat dead plant material, making its nutrients bioavailable for plants; all animals release carbon dioxide, which allows plants to make food; etc.).

4. Additionally, some animals specifically alter the ecosystem allowing for certain plants to grow (i.e., beaver dams create wetlands, elephants clear trees allowing for more grasses and shrubs to grow in the savanna, etc).

Summary/Notes:

Transcript for:Exploring Diversity and Life Classification

Transcript for:
Exploring Diversity and Life Classification