Classification of Living Organisms | Biology Basics for Students
Classification of Living Organisms
Scientists have grouped living organisms based on their similar characteristics.
This grouping of living things according to their similar characteristics is called classification .
Living things are classified according to the following characteristics:
1. The structure of the organism
; 2. Its feeding method
; 3. Its reproduction method;
4. Its movement characteristics.
Why are living things classified?
1. Classification facilitates the study of living things.
2. It is difficult to examine the millions of living things on Earth individually.
3. Classification allows us to obtain more detailed information about living things.
4. It reveals the relationships between living things.
5. Classifying living things facilitates scientific communication.
6. When information about a group is obtained, all members of the group become known.
Living things are divided into four categories: plants, animals, fungi, and microscopic organisms.
A- Microscopic organisms
Microscopic organisms are very small.
They are too small to be seen with the naked eye
and can only be seen with a microscope. Bacteria, amoeba, Euglena, and Paramecium are examples of microscopic organisms.
Microscopic organisms are found in many environments.
They live in the air, water, soil, and on other living things.
However, microscopic organisms cannot survive in space or sterile environments.
Microscopic organisms reproduce very quickly.
They multiply rapidly when they find suitable temperature, humidity, and nutrients.
Some microscopic organisms cause diseases.
These disease-causing microscopic organisms are called germs.
Tuberculosis, cholera, influenza, pneumonia, and malaria are transmitted by germs.
Tooth decay is also caused by microscopic organisms.
Some microscopic organisms multiply on food, causing spoilage.
Food contaminated with these microscopic organisms can be poisonous if consumed.
Therefore, food that has passed its expiration date or is sold in open containers should not be consumed.
Some microscopic organisms are beneficial.
Bacteria are used in the production of yogurt and cheese from milk.
Yeast fungi
are used in the production of wine and beer from grape juice. Bacteria are used in
the production of vinegar from grape juice. Bacteria are used in the production of
turnips from carrots. Yeast fungi are used in the fermentation of dough.
Bacteria play a role in the production of vitamins B and K in our intestines.
Fungi and bacteria are involved in the decomposition of plant and animal waste.
Mold fungi are used in the production of antibiotics.
Bacteria are used in the production of vaccines.
B-Mushrooms
- Fungi are not plants.
- They cannot produce their own food.
- They do not perform photosynthesis.
- They are fed with ready-made food.
- Fungi decompose plant and animal waste, allowing it to mix with the soil. More detailsβ¦
- Types of fungi include button mushrooms, mold fungi, yeast fungi, and pathogenic fungi.
1. Mushroom
It has a cap-like structure.
Many species found in nature are poisonous.
It is rich in vitamins and protein.
Mushrooms found in nature can be poisonous, and we may not be able to distinguish them.
Therefore, we should only consume cultivated mushrooms.
| Mushroom with a cap |
2. Mold
Mold causes foods like bread, lemons, and cheese to mold.
It also causes plant and animal waste to decompose.
The antibiotic penicillin is produced from cheese mold.
3. Yeast
It is very small and invisible to the naked eye.
It helps the dough to rise.
It is used in the production of wine and beer from grape juice.
4. Pathogenic (Parasitic) Fungi
It generally causes diseases from plants and animals.
Thrush, ringworm, and fungal infections of the hands, feet, and nails are examples of diseases it causes.
C-Classification of Plants
Plants produce nutrients and oxygen from sunlight, providing both their own food and sustenance for other living things. Plants are divided into two categories: flowering and non-flowering plants.
Non-flowering plants
Moss, algae, ferns, horsetails, clubmosses, liverworts, and lichens are non-flowering plants.
Ferns and mosses grow in wooded areas, at the base of trees, and in places where water is present.
Characteristics of Non-Flowering Plants
- It has a simple structure.
- The roots, stem, and leaves are poorly developed or absent.
- It has no flowers or seeds.
Flowering plants
All plants except those that are non-flowering are flowering plants.
They have more advanced structures than non-flowering plants.
Barley, wheat, cypress, corn, grass, pine tree, and rose are examples of flowering plants.
Parts of a flowering plant: It has roots, stem, leaves, and flowers.
| Parts of a Flower |
1. Root: The root
is the part of the plant that remains underground.
Its function is to anchor the plant to the soil, absorb water and minerals from the soil, and transport these substances to the stem.
Plants feed on the water and minerals they absorb from the soil.
Plants such as radishes, carrots, beets, and celery store nutrients in their roots. These are called storage roots .
2. Hull
It supports the plant upright and carries the leaves and flowers.
It transports water and minerals absorbed from the roots to the leaves, and nutrients produced in the leaves to other parts of the plant. Potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes store nutrients in their stems.
3. Leaf:
Photosynthesis, respiration, and transpiration occur in the leaf.
Photosynthesis
occurs through the use of carbon dioxide from the air, water absorbed by the roots, and sunlight.
Photosynthesis produces nutrients and oxygen.
| Photosynthesis Equation |
Water and Carbon Dioxide ββ With Light Energy βββ> Nutrients and Oxygen
Photosynthesis occurs only in the green part of the plant.
Respiration:
Plants respire day and night.
It is the reverse of photosynthesis.
Transpiration
is the process by which water is released from leaves.
4. A
flower is the reproductive organ of a plant.
It forms seeds and fruit.
It has sepals, petals, and stamens (male and female reproductive organs).
The sepals
are the outermost part of the plant.
They are green in color and
protect the plant when it is in bud.
Petals
are the colorful and beautiful part of a flower.
They protect the male and female reproductive organs.
The male reproductive organ
contains pollen (flower dust). The female reproductive organ is where seeds and fruit are formed.
Wind and insects play a role in the plantβs reproduction.
The petals attract insects with their pleasant scent.
D-Classification of Animals
They have a more developed structure compared to other living groups.
They can move actively.
They feed on plants and other animals.
Animals are divided into two groups: vertebrates and invertebrates.
Vertebrate animals
They have spines made of bone or cartilage in their bodies. Vertebrate animals are divided into five groups: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.
| Vertebrate Animals |
1. Mammals
Their bodies are covered with hair.
They reproduce by giving birth and feed their young with milk.
They are more developed than other vertebrates.
Humans, cows, sheep, camels, and mice are examples of mammals.
Whales, seals, and dolphins that live in water, and bats that can fly are mammals. [Detailed information]
2. Birds
Their bodies are covered with feathers.
They reproduce by laying eggs and care for their young.
They have wings, but not all can fly.
Penguins, ostriches, chickens, and geese are examples of flightless birds. [Detailed information]
3. Reptiles
They move by crawling.
Their bodies are hard, dry, and covered with scales.
They reproduce by laying eggs.
There is no parental care.
Snakes, turtles, crocodiles, lizards, and dinosaurs belong to this group. [Detailed information]
4. Fish
Their bodies are covered in scales.
They live in water.
They reproduce by laying eggs.
They breathe through gills.
They do not provide parental care.
Anchovies, sardines, and sea bass are examples. More detailed information.
5. Frogs
Frogs and salamanders (tailed frogs) belong to this group.
Their skin is soft and moist.
They live both on land and in water.
They reproduce by laying eggs.
The larvae that hatch from the eggs resemble fish and breathe through gills.
As they grow, they undergo metamorphosis and become similar to the adult organism.
Invertebrate animals
They lack a spine.
Sponges, cnidarians, worms, mollusks, arthropods, and echinoderms belong to the group of invertebrate animals.
Examples of Invertebrate Animals
Earthworm, leech, snail, bee, housefly, mosquito, louse, flea, tick, ant, grasshopper, bedbug, cockroach, butterfly, starfish, octopus, squid, sea urchin, spider, scorpion, crab, shrimp, sponge, coral