Classification

Notes
Guided Student Notes
With Key
Name_______________________________ Date______________
Science Classification of Living Things Notes
Learning Objectives:
1. To be able to name the 7 levels of classification from largest to smallest.
2. To be able to recall how humans are classified at each of the 7 classification levels.
3. To know how organisms are named scientifically.
4. To be able to classify any living organism into one of five kingdoms.

Classification of Living Things

Taxonomy is the science of classifying living things.
Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778) was a Swedish doctor and naturalist
who started the classification system scientists use today.
7 Levels of Classification
•Kingdom
•Phylum
•Class
•Order
•Family
•Genus
•Species
Kingdom
There are five kingdoms of living things
•Plants
•Animals
•Fungi (Mushrooms & Mold)
•Protista (Protozoans and Algae)
•Monera (Bacteria)
Phylum
A phylum is a major group of organisms within a kingdom whose
members share at least one special characteristic.
Chordata is a phylum in the animal kingdom that includes all
animals that have a backbone.
Class
Phylums are divided into smaller groups called classes.
The phylum Chordata is divided into several classes including
birds, fish, reptiles, and mammals.
Humans belong to the class mammalia.
Mammals all share two major characteristics
1. Hair
2. Ability to nourish young with milk
Order
Members of a class that have more characteristics in common are
put into even smaller groups called orders.
Lemurs, bushbabies, monkeys, apes and humans belong to the
order of primates.
Two major characteristic of primates are:
1. Five fingers on each hand with fingernails
2. Eyes facing forward
Family
Within an order, the most similar members are grouped into a
family.
Chimps, gorillas, humans, and orangutans belong to the family
hominidae.
Members of the hominidae family share DNA that is 97% similar.
Genus
Within each family, the most similar members are grouped into a
genus.
Humans belong to the genus Homo.
Two major characteristic of homo are:
1. Walk upright
2. Much less body hair compared to other members
of this genus
Species
Finally, within each genus the most similar organisms are grouped
into species.
Organisms within a species are so similar that they are able to mate
and reproduce more of their own kind.
Humans belong to the species sapiens.
Scientific Names
Every organism has a scientific name that consists of an
organism’s genus and species.
Example the scientific name for humans is Homo sapiens.
Rules for Scientific Names
•The first letter of the genus name is always Capitalized and the
first letter of the species name is always lower case.
•All names are in Latin.
•Names are always italicized (if typed)
or underlined (if handwritten)
Other examples of scientific names
Scientific Name Common Name
•Canis lupis wolf
•Felis leo lion
•Acer saccharum sugar maple

Classifying Organisms into Kingdoms

All organisms belong to one of the five kingdoms.
Which kingdom it belongs to depends on which of the following
five characteristics it has.
Characteristic: A behavior or physical structure used to identify an
organism.
Characteristics that determine what Kingdom an organism belongs to
1. Cellular Organization
Unicellular organisms are made up of only one cell.
Multicellular organisms are made up of more than one cell.
2. Presence of a Nuclear Membrane
Eukaryotic cells are cells that have a nuclear membrane that
form a nucleus that contains the DNA for the cell.
Prokaryotic cells have no nuclear membrane and no nucleus.
3. Food Source
Autotrophic organisms have chloroplasts to make their own
food through the process of photosynthesis.
Heterotrophic organisms rely on other organisms (living or
dead) for their source of food.
4. Presence of a Cell Wall
Some organism’s cells have cell walls and some don’t.
5. Type of reproduction
Asexual reproduction involves only one organism to
reproduce.
Sexual reproduction involves two organisms to reproduce.
 Type
Cellular Food Cell
Kingdom Nucleus? of
Organization Source Wall?
Reproduction
Heterotrophic No
Monera Prokaryotic
Unicellular or Cell Asexual
(Bacteria) (No Nucleus)
Autotrophic Walls

Unicellular Heterotrophic No Asexual

Protista Eukaryotic
or or Cell or
(Protozoans) (Nucleus)
Multicellular Autotrophic Walls Sexual

Cell Asexual
Most Multicellular Eukaryotic
Fungi Heterotrophic Walls or
(exception yeast) (Nucleus)
Present Sexual

Cell Asexual
Eukaryotic
Plant Multicellular Autotrophic Walls or
(Nucleus)
Present Sexual

No
Eukaryotic
Animal Multicellular Heterotrophic Cell Sexual
(Nucleus)
Walls

Name_______________________________ Date______________
Science Classification of Living Things Notes
Primary Learning Objectives:
1. To be able to name the 7 levels of classification from largest to smallest.
2. To recall how humans are classified at each of the 7 classification levels.
3. To know how organisms are named scientifically.
4. To be able to classify any living organism into one of five kingdoms.

Classification of Living Things

is the science of classifying living things.
(1707-1778) was a Swedish doctor and
naturalist who started the classification system scientists use today.
7 Levels of Classification
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Kingdom
There are five kingdoms of living things
•
•
• (Mushrooms & Mold)
• (Protozoans and Algae)
• (Bacteria)

Phylum
A phylum is a major group of organisms within a kingdom whose
members share at least one special characteristic.
is a phylum in the animal kingdom that includes all
animals that have a backbone.
Class
Phylums are divided into smaller groups called classes.
The phylum Chordata is divided into several classes including
birds, fish, reptiles, and mammals.
Humans belong to the class .
Mammals all share two major characteristics
 1.
2.
Order
Members of a class that have more characteristics in common are
put into even smaller groups called orders.
Lemurs, bushbabies, monkeys, apes and humans belong to the
order of .
Two major characteristic of primates are:
1.
2.
Family
Within an order, the most similar members are grouped into a
.
Chimps, gorillas, humans, and orangutans belong to the family
.
Members of the hominidae family share DNA that is similar.
Genus
Within each family, the most similar members are grouped into a
.
Humans belong to the genus .
Two major characteristic of homo are:
1.
2.
Species
Finally, within each genus the most similar organisms are grouped
into .
Organisms within a species are so similar that they are able to mate
and reproduce more of their own kind.
Humans belong to the species .
Scientific Names
Every organism has a scientific name that consists of an
organism’s genus and species.
Example the scientific name for humans is .

Rules for Scientific Names

•The first letter of the genus name is always and the
first letter of the species name is always .
•All names are in .
•Names are always italicized (if typed)
or (if handwritten)

Other examples of scientific names

Scientific Name Common Name
•Canis lupis wolf
•Felis leo lion
•Acer saccharum sugar maple
Classifying Organisms into Kingdoms
All organisms belong to one of the five kingdoms.
Which kingdom it belongs to depends on which of the following
five characteristics it has.
: A behavior or physical structure used to
identify an organism.
Characteristics that determine what Kingdom an organism belongs to
1. Cellular Organization
organisms are made up of only one cell.
organisms are made up of more than one cell.
2. Presence of a Nuclear Membrane
cells are cells that have a nuclear membrane that
form a nucleus that contains the DNA for the cell.
cells have no nuclear membrane and no nucleus.
3. Food Source
organisms have chloroplasts to make their
own food through the process of photosynthesis.
organisms rely on other organisms (living
or dead) for their source of food.
4. Presence of a Cell Wall
Some organism’s cells have and some don’t.
5. Type of reproduction
reproduction involves only one organism to
reproduce.
reproduction involves two organisms to
reproduce.
 Type
Cellular Food Cell
Kingdom Nucleus? of
Organization Source Wall?
Reproduction

Heterotrophic
Monera Prokaryotic No Cell
Unicellular or Asexual
(Bacteria) (No Nucleus) Walls
Autotrophic

Unicellular Heterotrophic Asexual

Protista Eukaryotic No Cell
or or or
(Protozoans) (Nucleus) Walls
Multicellular Autotrophic Sexual

Most Cell Asexual

Eukaryotic
Fungi Multicellular Heterotrophic Walls or
(Nucleus)
(except yeast) Present Sexual

Cell Asexual
Eukaryotic
Plant Multicellular Autotrophic Walls or
(Nucleus)
Present Sexual

Eukaryotic No Cell
Animal Multicellular Heterotrophic Sexual
(Nucleus) Walls