Characteristics and Classification of Living Things

7 Characteristics of all Living Things Today, the more accurate means of

classification is the sequence of bases in DNA
The acronym: MRS GREN shows the 7 (deoxyribonucleic acid) and of amino acids
characteristics that all living things show to be in proteins. Organisms which share a more
considered as living. recent ancestor (are more closely related)
have base sequences in DNA that are more
 Movement: an action by an organism or similar than those that share only a distant
part of an organism causing a change of ancestor.
position or place
Classification of organisms is necessary:
 Respiration: the chemical reactions in cells  It can help identify an organism or the
that break down nutrient molecules and group it belongs to and accordingly predict
release energy for metabolism an organism’s behaviour or know if the
 Sensitivity: the ability to detect or sense organism is endangered or at the verge of
stimuli in the internal or external extinction
environment and to make appropriate  It can help reflect and study evolutionary
responses relationships (cladistics)
 It can help understand relationships
 Growth: a permanent increase in size and between multiple organisms in the same
dry mass by an increase in cell number or group of classification.
cell size or both
The Hierarchy of Classification
 Reproduction: the processes that make
more of the same kind of organism
There are many different organisms on the
 Excretion: removal from organisms of the plant. Taxonomists (the scientists who study
waste products of metabolism (chemical classification – taxonomy), have placed these
reactions in cells including respiration), organisms in several different kingdoms as
toxic materials, and substances in excess they get discovered based on similar
of requirements characteristics and DNA. As there are so many
organisms in kingdoms, there are further
 Nutrition: taking in of materials for energy, classification groups (phylum) and subgroups
growth and development; plants require (class). Additionally, there is order, family
light, carbon dioxide, water and ions; and genus. Finally, the basic unit of
animals need organic compounds and ions classification, which is also the last and final
and usually need water level, is species. A species is a group of
organisms that can reproduce to produce
Other than these 7 characteristics of living fertile offspring.
things, to be considered living, an organism
must have cells present. These cells will The Binomial Nomenclature
contain:
 A cell membrane The binomial system of naming species is an
 A cytoplasm internationally agreed system in which the
 DNA as genetic material scientific name of an organism is made up of
 Ribosomes for protein synthesis two parts showing the genus and species. This
 and Enzymes for respiration. name of the genus and specie forms a
scientific name. There are 2 main rules to be
Classification acknowledged when writing these names:
 The genus name must start in capital, and
The science of placing organisms into the specie name in small (Panthera Leo –
categories on the basis of observable lion)
characteristics is called classification.  The words must be underlined separately
Organisms can be classified into groups by the when written (Panthera tigris – tiger) or in
features that they share. Classification is italics when typed on a device (Panthera
traditionally based on morphology (the study pardus – leopard)
of form or characteristics from the outside of
an organism) and anatomy (the study of the
inside of an organism).
Infertile Offspring Kingdom Plantae

When a male tiger and a female lion breed, an A plant has a cell wall made out of cellulose
infertile or sterile offspring (tigon) is formed or and produces its own food in the presence of
when a male lion and female tiger breed a liger light (photosynthesis). They are photo-
is formed. They are infertile as their parents autotrophs. As there are many different
are different species, but their parents can plants, they are classified in 4 groups:
breed as they belong to the same genus.  Algae
Similarly, a horse and a donkey can breed and  Mosses
a mule will be the offspring.  Ferns
 Seed Plants (Gymnosperms and
5 Kingdom Classification Angiosperms)

There are 5 Kingdoms in which organism have Ferns: Ferns have leaves, stems and roots;
been placed so it is easy to identify and they reproduce with spores present on the
classify them. These kingdoms are: lower surface of their leaves; they also have
 Kingdom Monera / Prokaryotae vascular tissues (xylem and phloem) present
(Bacteria) in their stems; they have an underground stem
 Kingdom Protista / Protoctista that can survive when fronds (complex
(Protoctists) leaves) die. This stem is called the rhizome.
 Kingdom Fungi (Fungi)
 Kingdom Plantae (Plants) Angiosperms: These are seed plants which
 Kingdom Animalia (Animals) have seeds present in fruits which are
in evolutionary order. developed from flowers. Thus, these plants are
also called flowering plants. They have roots,
Viruses are no considered to be a part of any stems, leaves, vascular tissues, flowers, fruits
kingdom as of now as they only show living and stomata. They are further classified into
characteristics inside a host (parasite). They monocotyledons (1 cot) and dicotyledons (2
are known as entities. cots).

Kingdom Monera There are multiple differences between these

two angiosperms. Some of them are
This is the first and most primitive kingdom out mentioned here:
of all the 5 kingdoms. Bacteria are single  Monocots have 1 cot and dicots have 2
celled prokaryotes (scattered nuclear matter)  Monocots have 1 seed leaf and dicots have
and they do not have some cell organelles. All 2
monerans have a peptidoglycan cell wall.  Monocots show parallel venation and
They make their own food using chemicals in dicots show reticulate or branched
the surroundings (chemoautotrophs). venation
 Monocots have long and narrow leaves and
Kingdom Protoctista dicots have short and broad leaves
 Monocot germination is hypogeal and
Protoctists are also unicellular organisms, but dicots is epigeal
they have a well-defined nucleus (eukaryotic).  Monocots have fibrous roots and dicots
Each protoctist has a specific organelle for have tap roots
locomotion.
Kingdom Animalia
Kingdom Fungi
Animals are the most numerous kingdom from
Most fungi are either parasitic (feed on a host) the 5 kingdoms and thus they have 9 phyla.
or saprophytic (feed on dead or decaying These phyla are: porifera (sponges), cnidaria
organisms). They are multicellular (except (jellyfish and corals), platyhelminthes
yeasts) and are made up of thread like (tapeworm), nematoda (roundworms),
structures called hyphae which bunch annelida (earthworms), mollusca (snails),
together to form mycelium. They digest their arthropoda (4 sub-groups), echinodermata
food outside their body (extracellular (starfish) and chordata (5 sub-groups) in
digestion). Finally, they have a chitin cell evolutionary order.
wall.
Arthropoda: arthropods mean ‘jointed limbs.’  Reptiles: dry, scaly skin to prevent water
Each arthropod has several pairs of jointed loss; tail used for swimming (crocodiles and
limbs. There are 4 sub-groups of arthropods: more); limbs efficient for crawling and
 Insecta: 6 legs or 3 pairs of jointed legs; climbing; mouth has teeth or bony ridges to
clear head, thorax and abdomen; aid feeding; poikilothermic; auditory canal
specialised mouthparts for feeding; leads to eardrum; moult skin (shed and
antennae to sense stimuli in the regrow the skin).
surroundings; compound eyes; most have  Birds: forelimbs are modified as wings;
2 pairs of wings for flying (ants don’t have nostril leads to lungs for gas exchange;
wings, some have 1 pair); shows endothermic (warm blooded); feathers are
metamorphosis – using the surrounding vital for flight and endothermy (keeping
environment to the maximum to change warm); light beak with no bone or teeth
body form (caterpillar to butterfly) (helps in flying without weight); scales on
 Arachnida: 8 legs or 4 pairs of jointed legs legs; feet ideal for perching (holding onto
to chase pray or hold onto a web; piercing branches or support); lay calcareous eggs;
jaws; clear division of head and hollow bones – make them lighter.
cephalothorax; 4 simple eyes to detect  Mammals: presence of mammary glands
pray; spinneret produces long, thin strands – milk secreting organs; fur or hair as a
of silk. body covering for endothermy as mammals
 Crustacea: 10 legs or 5 pairs of jointed need to maintain body temperature; pinna
legs; gills under shell to breathe (external ear) is present; whiskers are
underwater; calcareous carapace for sensitive to touch or vibration; mouth
protection; eyes to see in the aquatic contains various types of teeth allows
environment; hard and strong claw to hold mammals to have a wide variety of food;
food and break mollusc shells. penis in males to ensure fertilisation;
 Myriapoda: Numerous pairs of jointed legs diaphragm helps in breathing as it
(1 pair per segment – centipede, 2 pairs separates thorax and abdomen;
per segment – millipede); many body viviparous (give birth – except ducked
segments; antennae as sense organs in billed platypus, lays eggs).
the dark and damp environment; hard
exoskeleton for protection; waterproof Viruses
body; legs to walk over rough surfaces;
mouthparts have hard edges to bite A virus does not show living characteristics
vegetation (millipedes) or animals unless it is living inside a host. A virus has a
(centipedes). protein coat which protects the genetic
material and is made up of many subunits and
Chordata: All chordates have a vertebral a single strand of genetic material which is
column and are also called vertebrates. There either DNA or RNA (ribonucleic acid).
are 5 classes under this phylum: Fish,
amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals in Dichotomous Keys
evolutionary order.
 Fish: have fins for movement and stability;
scales covered in mucus help streamlining
for swimming; lateral line contains sense
organs to detect vibrations; operculum (in
bony fish) covers gills or gill slit (in
cartilaginous fish); gills have a large
surface area for gas exchange; cold
blooded (poikilothermic); gills are red as
there are blood vessels present.
 Amphibians: moist skin for gas exchange
under water (no body covering henceforth);
nostrils lead to lungs for gas exchange on
land; wide mouth as adult amphibians are
all carnivores; four limbs with webbed hind ▲ The above key is called a branching key or
limbs for walking and swimming; a dichotomous key (as there are 2 possible
poikilothermic; tympanum (eardrum) answers to a question – yes or no). It asks a
visible with no auditory canal. series of questions to classify.