BIOLOGY DIVERSITY IN LIVING ORGANISMS

Diversity in Living Organisms

 The variety in living organisms existing on the Earth is called biodiversity.

 Taxonomy is a biological science which deals with the identification, nomenclature and classification
of organisms.
 The system of sorting living organisms into various groups based on their characteristic similarities
and differences is called classification.
 The principles of classification help us in tracing the evolutionary relationships of the species around
us.
 Organisms with ancient body designs are referred to as primitive or lower organisms, while
organisms which have acquired their body designs relatively recently are called advanced or higher
organisms.
 A species is a group of organisms of a particular kind whose members can interbreed among
themselves to produce fertile young ones.

Binomial Nomenclature

 The binomial nomenclature system was suggested by the Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus.
 According to binomial nomenclature, every organism is given a scientific name for identity. The
scientific name includes two terms. The first term is the name of the genus, and the second term is
the name of the species.

Hierarchy of Classification

Kingdom  Phylum  Class  Order  Family  Genus  Species

Five Kingdom Classification

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KINGDOM CHARACTERISTICS EXAMPLES

Monera  Organisms have a prokaryotic cell structure. Bacteria, Cyanobacteria,
 The cell lacks a distinct nucleus. Mycoplasma
Protista  Contain a well-defined nucleus. Chlamydomonas,
 Nuclear materials are organised in the form of a Euglena, Amoeba
linear, double-stranded and helical DNA along
with proteins.
Fungi  Possess a true nucleus and a definite cell wall, Mucor, Rhizopus, Puccinia
which is composed of chitin.
Plantae  Cell is bound by a cell wall, which is made of Algae, mosses, ferns
cellulose.
 Contains a true nucleus and membrane-bound
cell organelles.
Animalia  Lack cell wall and plastid. Earthworm, Sycon, beetle

Classification of Kingdom Plantae

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SUBKINGDOM–DIVISION CHARACTERISTICS EXAMPLES

Subkingdom Cryptogamae  Plants have an irregularly shaped, Nostoc,
Division Thallophyta/Algae undifferentiated body called thallus. Oscillatoria,
 Predominantly aquatic. Chlamydomonas
Subkingdom Cryptogamae  Plant body is either in the form of an Riccia, Funaria,
Division Bryophyta undifferentiated thallus or in the form of Anthoceros
leafy erect structures.
 No specialised tissue for the conduction
of water and other substances from one
part of the plant body to another.
Subkingdom Cryptogamae  Plant body is differentiated into stem, Psilotum,
Division Pteridophyta leaves and roots. Nephrolepis,
 Have specialised tissue for the Equisetum
conduction of water and other
substances from one part of the plant
body to another.
Subkingdom Phanerogamae  Bear naked seeds. Gingko, Pinus,
Division Gymnospermae  Usually perennial, evergreen and Gnetum
woody.
Subkingdom Phanerogamae  Plant body produces seeds which are Maize, bean,
Division Angiospermae enclosed within the fruits. wheat
 Based on the number of cotyledons,
angiosperms are divided into two
classes—monocots and dicots.

Classification of Kingdom Animalia

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Classification of Phylum Invertebrata

PHYLUM CHARACTERISTICS EXAMPLES

Porifera  Simplest multicellular animals with perforated Sycon, bath
bodies.
 The body consists of a tube.
Coelenterata  Have a two-layered body wall, which encloses a Hydra, jellyfish
single cavity in which digestion takes place.
 There are finger-like projections called tentacles
present near the mouth for catching food.
Platyhelminthes  Small, soft, flattened and unsegmented worms. Liver fluke,
 Do not have a body cavity or a coelom. tapeworm
Annelida  The body is cylindrical and divided into ring-like Earthworm, leech
segments.
 Have a true body cavity called coelom, present
between the body wall and the digestive tube,
which is filled with coelomic fluid.
Nemathelminthes  The body is long, cylindrical and unsegmented Hookworm,
without a body cavity. Ascaris
 The nervous system is well-developed and
consists of simple nerves.
Arthropoda  Have jointed limbs, one pair each on some or Crayfish, crab
on all body segments.
 Have an exoskeleton made of chitin but lack
cilia.
Mollusca  Have a soft, unsegmented body without Snail, slug
appendages but with a hard and calcareous
shell to protect the soft body.
Echinodermata  The body may be spherical, cylindrical or star- Starfish, brittle star
shaped, hard, unsegmented or non-metameric.
 Possess a spiny exoskeleton.
Urochordata  Triploblastic animals with a coelom which show Balanoglossus,
bilateral symmetry. Amphioxus
 The body has three distinct parts—proboscis,
collar and trunk.

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Classification of Phylum Vertebrata

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS EXAMPLES

Pisces  Organisms belonging to Class Pisces are fish. Shark, dogfish
 They are cold-blooded or poikilothermic animals.
Amphibia  The body is divisible into a head and trunk. Neck is Frog, toad
absent.
 Have a three-chambered heart with two auricles
and one ventricle.
 They are cold-blooded animals.
Reptilia  The body is divisible into head, neck, abdomen Lizard, snake
and tail.
 Most of them have a three-chambered heart.
Ventricle of the heart is partially divided.
Aves  All birds belong to Class Aves. Pigeon, sparrow
 Warm-blooded or homeothermic animals.
 Heart is four-chambered.
Mammalia  Warm-blooded animals. Cat, dog
 Have a four-chambered heart with two auricles
and two ventricles.

Differences between Vertebrates and Invertebrates

VERTEBRATES INVERTEBRATES
1. Have an internal skeleton 1. No internal skeleton
2. Backbone present 2. Backbone absent
3. Tail usually present 3. Tail absent (anus at the tip of the back
end of the body)
4. Heart on the ventral side of the body 4. Heart, when present, on the dorsal
side of the body
5. Nerve (spinal) cord dorsal and hollow 5. Nerve cord ventral and solid
6. Have two pairs of limbs 6. Have three or more pairs of limbs if
present
7. Haemoglobin in red blood cells 7. Haemoglobin, if present, dissolved
8. Examples: Fish, frog, lizard, bird 8. Examples: Leech, earthworm, Sycon

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