2

General
Biology 2 12
General Biology 2 – Grade 12
Quarter 3 – Module 14: Biodiversity and Categories of Classification
First Edition, 2020

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General
Biology 2
12
Quarter 3
Module 15
Taxonomic Classification
Introductory Message

For the facilitator:

Welcome to the General Biology 2 of Grade 12 Module 15 on Taxonomic

Classification!

This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by educators from
Schools Division Office of Pasig City headed by its Officer-In-Charge Schools Division
Superintendent, Ma. Evalou Concepcion A. Agustin in partnership with the Local
Government of Pasig through its mayor, Honorable Vico Sotto.
The writers utilized the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum using the Most
Essential Learning Competencies (MELC) while overcoming their personal, social,
and economic constraints in schooling.

This learning material hopes to engage the learners into guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Further, this also aims to help learners
acquire the needed 21st century skills especially the 5 Cs namely: Communication,
Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking and Character while taking into
consideration their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of
the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module.
You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to manage
their own learning. Moreover, you are expected to encourage and assist the learners
as they do the tasks included in the module.
For the learner:

Welcome to the General Biology 2 Module 15 on Taxonomic Classification!

The hand is one of the most symbolized part of the human body. It is often
used to depict skill, action and purpose. Through our hands we may learn, create
and accomplish. Hence, the hand in this learning resource signifies that you as a
learner is capable and empowered to successfully achieve the relevant competencies
and skills at your own pace and time. Your academic success lies in your own hands!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities for
guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to
process the contents of the learning material while being an active learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

Expectation - These are what you will be able to know after

completing the lessons in the module

Pre-test - This will measure your prior knowledge and the

concepts to be mastered throughout the lesson.

Recap - This section will measure what learnings and skills

that you understand from the previous lesson.

Lesson- This section will discuss the topic for this module.

Activities - This is a set of activities you will perform.

Wrap Up- This section summarizes the concepts and

applications of the lessons.
Valuing-this part will check the integration of values in the
learning competency.

Post-test - This will measure how much you have learned from
the entire module. Ito po ang parts ng module.
 EXPECTATION
After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Identify levels of classification; and

2. Enumerate the criterion for each level; and
3. Describe the system of classification of organisms.

PRETEST

Directions: Read the statements/questions comprehensively and choose the

letter of the best answer. Write the answer on the separate sheet of paper.
________1. What is the highest level of biological classification?
A. Domain
B. Kingdom
C. Phylum
D. Class
_______2. What Class do human beings belong to?
A. Aves
B. Reptilia
C. Mammalia
D. Amphibia
________3. What species do human beings belong to?
A. Bos taurus
B. Equus caballus
C. Ovis aries
D. Homo sapiens
______ 4. A Homo sapiens means?
A. Handy man
B. Wise man
C. Upright man
D. Modern man
_______5. The only domain with membrane-bound organelles.
A. Archaea
B. Eukarya
C. Bacteria
D. Eubacteria
 RECAP
Activity 13.1. Direction: Read the statements/questions comprehensively and
choose the letter of the best answer

1. This is the most reliable and precise indicator of biodiversity

A. Genetic variation C. Environmental factor
B. Species diversity D. Ecosystem diversity
2. _______ is the biological variety of living things on Earth
A. Diversity C. Multiple variation
B. Biodiversity D. Variation
3. A Which of the following best explains the morphological species
concept?

A. Sexual reproduction among only similar kinds of species is likely

to occur.
B. Different clones with variations in its genetic composition is
considered a separate species.
C. A clear difference in appearance makes one a separate species.
D. Mating among different breeds is impossible.
4. If you are classifying a group of individuals as a species mainly based on
a recently shared common ancestor, you're likely using the ______.
Phenetic species concept C. Morphological species concept
Biological species concept D. Phylogenetic species concept
5. What accurately describes biodiversity?
A. Different types of life C. Different types of animals
B. Different types of plants D. Different types of extant
 LESSON

All living organisms are classified into groups based on very basic, shared
characteristics. Organisms within each group are then further divided into smaller
groups. These smaller groups are based on more detailed similarities within each
larger group. This grouping system makes it easier for scientists to study certain
groups of organisms. Characteristics such as appearance, reproduction, mobility,
and functionality are just a few ways in which living organisms are grouped together.
These specialized groups are collectively called the classification of living things. The
classification of living things includes 7 levels: kingdom, phylum, classes, order,
families, genus, and species .

When you see an organism that you have never seen before, you probably
group it with other, similar organisms without even thinking about it. You would
probably classify it on the basis of obvious physical characteristics. For example, if
an organism is green and has leaves, no doubt you would classify it as a plant. How
would you classify the organisms in Figure below?

Figure 15.1 A fungus(left) and sponge(right). Source: ck12.org

They look quite similar, but scientists place them in very different categories. The
organism on the left is a type of fungus. The organism on the right is an animal,
specifically a sponge. In many ways, a sponge is no more like a fungus than you
are.
 Domain

When Linnaeus was naming and classifying organisms in the 1700s, almost nothing
was known of microorganisms. With the development of powerful microscopes,
scientists discovered many single-celled organisms that did not fit into any of
Linnaeus’ kingdoms. As a result, a new taxon was identified- called the domain, was
added to the classification system. The domain is broader than the kingdom.

Almost all living things can be classified in three domains: Archaea, Bacteria,
and Eukarya. These domains are compared Table 15.1. The Archaea Domain
includes only the Archaea Kingdom, and the Bacteria Domain includes only the
Bacteria Kingdom. The Eukarya Domain includes the Animal, Plant, Fungus, and
Protist Kingdoms.

The Archaea and Bacteria

Domains contain single-celled
organisms only. Both Archaea
and Bacteria have cells walls,
but their cell walls are made of
different materials depending
on the organisms’ environment.
The cells of Archaea and
Bacteria lack nucleus.

Some Eukarya are also single-

celled, but most of its
Table 15.1 Comparison of Three Domains
organisms are multicellular.
Some have a cell wall while others do not. However, the cells of all Eukarya have a
nucleus and other organelles within the cell. Archaea and Bacteria may seem more
similar to each other compared to Eukarya. However, scientists think that Archaea
may actually be more closely related to Eukarya than of the domain Bacteria is. This
view is based on similarities in their DNA.

7 Major Levels of Classification

There are seven major levels of classification: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order,
Family, Genus, and Species. The two main kingdoms we think about are plants and
animals. Scientists also list four other kingdoms including bacteria, archaebacteria,
fungi, and protozoa.

Kingdoms- The most basic classification of living things is kingdom. Currently there
are five kingdoms. Living things are placed into certain kingdoms based on how they
obtain their food, the types of cells that make up their body, and the number of cells
they contain.

Phylum- The phylum is the next level following kingdom in the classification of living
things. It is an attempt to find some kind of physical similarities among organisms
within a kingdom. These physical similarities suggest that there is a common
ancestry among those organisms in a particular phylum.

Classes- Classes are way to further divide organisms of a phylum. As you could
probably guess, organisms of a class have even more in common than those in an
entire phylum. For example, humans belong to the Mammal Class because we drink
milk in our early years.

Order- Organisms in each class are further broken down into orders. In this
category, a taxonomy key is used to determine to which order an organism belongs.
A taxonomy key is a checklist of characteristics that determines how organisms are
grouped together.

Families- Orders are divided into families. Organisms within a family have more in
common than with organisms in any classification level above it. Because they share
so much characteristics in common, organisms of a family are said to be related to
each other.

Genus- This describes the generic name for an organism. The genus classification is
very specific so there are fewer organisms within the genus. Because of this, there
are a lot of different genera among both animals and plants. When using taxonomic
naming, the genus is used to determine the first part of its two-part name.

Species- Species is the most specific name os an organisim. It is the last and most
strict level of classification of living things. The main criterion of an organism to be
within a particular species is the ability to breed with other organisms of that same
species. The species of an organism determines the second part of its two-part name.
Classification for humans here is an example of how humans are classified. You will
see that our species is homo sapiens.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Family: Hominidae
Genus: Homo
Species: Homo sapiens

Figure 15.2 Taxonomic Classification of Humans Source: YourDictionary

Fun ways to Remember Biological Classification A good way to remember lists

is to make up a sentence using the first letters in a list. In this case we want to
remember Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species: K, P, C, O,
F, G, S

Note: King Philip Came Over For Good Spaghetti

Interesting Facts about Biological Classification

 Although the system of classification continues to be modified, Carolus

Linnaeus, a Swedish plant scientist, is generally credited with inventing the
current system.
 Animals with exoskeletons like insects and crabs are part of the Phylum
Arthropoda and are often called arthropods.
 Under the Phylum Chordata we get the classes of animals many are familiar
with such as mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fish and birds.
 A species is usually defined as individuals that can reproduce.
 ACTIVITIES
ACTIVITY 15.1.

Directions: Identify what is being describe in the following statements.

________________1. Highest classification of an organism

________________2. The first name of a scientific name is derived from this criterion.

________________3. The second name of a scientific name is derived from this

criterion.

________________4. The classification of physical similarities.

________________5. The classification of living environment, food consumption and

type of cells.

Activity 15.2.

Directions: Give the classification per level of the given species. Write on a separate
sheet of paper.

Humans
Domain: _________________________
Kingdom: ________________________
Phylum: _________________________
Class: ___________________________
Order: __________________________
Family: _________________________
Genus: _________________________
Species: ________________________
Scientific Name: ________________________
 WRAP–UP

Activity 14.4.

I. Enumerate the eight classification of organism.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
II. Differentiate the three different Domains.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
III. Explain how a scientific name is derived.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

VALUING

Activity 14.6. Essay

Directions: Identify and explain each level of classification.

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

POST TEST

Direction: Read each question carefully and choose the letter of the best answer.

_________1. Not counting the Domain, which of the following is the second level of classification?
A. Species
B. Kingdom
C. Phylum
 D. Order
_________2.What is the latest species of human beings belong to?
A. Homo sapiens
B. Homo erectus
C. Homo habilis
D. Homo floresiensis

_________3. Which does not belong to the group?

A. Archaea
B. Eukarya
C. Bacteria
D. Eubacteria
_________4. The only domain with multicellularity Archaea
E. Archaea
F. Eukarya
G. Bacteria
H. Eubacteria
_________5. Which of the following is in proper classification?
A. Family- Genus- Species
B. Domain- Order- Class
C. Kingdom- Phylum- Domain
D. Kingdom- Order- Phylum
 KEY TO CORRECTION

A 5.
A 4.
C 3.
B 2.
A 1.
RECAP

5. A
4. B
3. D
2. A
1. C
POSTTEST Activity 14. 3
Kingdom 5.
B 5. Phylum 4.
B 4. Species 3.
D 3. Genus 2.
C 2. Domain 1.
A 1.
PRETEST Activity 14.2

R E F E R E N CE S
CK-12 Life Sciences. https://www.ck12.org/book/ck-12-life-science-for-middle-
school/section/2.3/ Retrieved 10 February 2021
Curator, Department of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History. Author of
Extinct Humans, The Fossil Trail, and others.

Hoefnagels, Marielle. General Biology. McGraw-Hill Education. Abiva Publishing

House,Inc. 2016.

Miller, Stephen A. Zoology. McGraw-Hill. New York. 2010.

O'Neil, Dennis. "Models of Classification". Modern Human Variation. Palomar College.

Archived from the original on 6 January 2013. Retrieved Retrieved 10 February
2021

Starr, Cecie. Evers, Christine. and Lisa. Starr. Biology: Today and Tomorrow Biology
for Non Science Majors. Cengage Learning. 201