Diversity in Living

Organisms :
Chapter Notes
Biodiversity or biological diversity means the variety of living
organisms present on a particular region.
 Taxonomy 

 It is a branch of biology which deals with identification,

nomenclature, and classification of organisms.

 Carolus Linnaeus is called the father of taxonomy.

Classification and evolution
Evolution is a process by which a new species is developed from an old species with
gradual changes. Charles Darwin first described this idea of evolution in his book ‘The
Origin of species’ in the year 1839.
More complex organisms develop from the simpler organisms. The older, simpler
organisms are calledprimitive or lower organisms while the younger, complex
organisms are called advanced or higher organisms.
Evolution and classification is somehow related, as classification of organism is done
considering how evolution has occurred. While organisms classified in same group are
likely to have evolved in similar ways.
 Classification
The method of arranging organisms into groups or sets on the
basis of similarities and differences is called classification.

Importance of classification:
 It makes the study of wide variety of organisms easy and in
systematic manner.
 It helps to understand how the different organisms have
evolved with time.
 It helps to understand the inter-relationships among different
groups of organisms.
 It forms a base for the study of other biological sciences, like
biogeography.
 Basis of classification:
 There are the certain features or properties used for the classification
of living organisms which are known as characteristics. Organisms
with same characteristics are placed in same groups.

Classification system
1. Two kingdom classification: Carolus Linnaeus in 1758 classified the
living organisms into two groups as plants and animals.
2. Five kingdom classification: H. Whittaker in 1959 further classified
the organisms into five kingdoms as Kingdom Monera, Kingdom
Protista, Kingdom Fungi, Kingdom Plantae, and Kingdom Animalia.
 Note - Carl Woese in 1977 further divided kingdom Monera into
Archaebacteria (or Archae) and Eubacteria
(or Bacteria).
 Hierarchy of classification
The groups or the levels from top to bottom are:
 Kingdom

 Phylum(Animals) / Division(Plants)

 Class

 Order

 Family

 Genus

 Species

 Species:  A species is a group of living beings which can

reproduce among themselves and keep their population alive.
Hierarchical naming of Human
The Five kingdom classification
The major characteristics considered for classifying all
organisms into five major kingdoms are:
1. Type of cellular organization - 
a) Prokaryotic cells: These are primitive and incomplete cells without well –
defined nucleus.
b) Eukaryotic cells: These are advanced and complete cells with well – defined
nucleus.
2. Body organization -
a) Unicellular organisms: These are organisms made up of single cell with all
activities performed by the single cell.
b) Multicellular organisms: These are organisms made up of large number of cells
with different functions performed by different cells.
3. Mode of obtaining food -
a) Autotrophs: These are the organisms that make their own food by photosynthesis.
b) Heterotrophs: These are the organisms which depend on other organisms for food.
4. Cell wall
a) Present: Plantae, Fungi
b) Absent: Animalia
Note: Monera and Protista may or may not have cell wall
Kingdom 1: Monera
Following are its basic features:

 Prokaryotic, Unicellular.
 Can be autotrophic or heterotrophic.
 May or may not have cell wall.
 Examples- Anabaena and Bacteria (heterotrophic), Cyano-bacteria or Blue green
algae (autotrophic).
Kingdom 2 : Protista
Following are its basic features:

 Eukaryotic, Unicellular.
 Can be autotrophic or heterotrophic.
 May have cilia, flagella or pseudopodia for locomotion.
 Examples: plants like- Unicellular algae, Diatoms; animals like- protozoans
(Amoeba, Paramecium, Euglena); fungi like- slime molds and water molds.
Kingdom 3: Fungi
Following are its basic features:

 Eukaryotic
 Mostly multicellular but sometimes unicellular(yeast)
 Source of food:

a) Mostly saprophytes - these organisms use decaying material for food.

b) Some parasitic - these organisms live inside body of other living organism to have
food and can be disease causing.
c) Symbiotic relation - these are relations between two organisms in which they live
together for benefit of one or both. Lichens are a symbiotic relation between fungi
and cyanobacteria. Here fungi gets food from cyanobacteria and in return
cyanobacteria gets water and protection from sunlight through fungi.

 Cell wall is made of chitin

 Examples-mushrooms(Agaricus), green mold(Penicillium), smut(Aspergilus)
Kingdom 4: Plantae
This kingdom is further classified into different division on the basis
of some characters.
 Division 1: Thallophyta
Following are its basic features:
 Basic and elementary plants with undifferentiated body parts.

 Generally called algae.

 No vascular tissue present.

 Reproduce through spores.

 Mainly found in water.

 Example- Ulva, Spirogyra, Ulothrix, Cladophora, Chara.

 Division 2: Bryophyta
Following are its basic features:
 Body structure differentiated but not fully developed.

 No vascular tissues present.

 Reproduce through spores.

 Found on both land and water therefore known

as ‘Amphibians of Plantae kingdom’.
 Example - liverwort(Marchantia, Riccia), mosses(Funaria),
hornwort (dendrocerous).
 Division 3: Pteridophyta
Following are its basic features:
 Differentiated body structure- leaves, stems, roots, etc.

 Vascular tissues present.

 Reproduce through spores

 Examples- Marsilea, fern, horsetails

Division 4: Gymnosperms
Following are its basic features:

 Differentiated body parts

 Vascular tissues
 Naked seeds without fruits or flowers
 Perennial, evergreen and woody
 Examples- Pines(deodar), Cycus, Ginkgo.
 Division 5: Angiosperms
Following are its basic features:
 Also known as Flower - bearing plants.

 Later on flower becomes fruit.

 Seeds are inside the fruit.

Angiosperms are further divided on the basis of number of cotyledons into two parts:
Kingdom 5: Animalia
Basis of classification of Animalia kingdom:
1. Symmetry:
i) Bilateral symmetry: it is when an organism can be divided into right and left halves,
identical but mirror images, by a single vertical plane.
ii) Radial symmetry: it is when an organism is equally spaced around a central point,
like spokeson a bicycle wheel.
2. Germ layers : in embryonic stages there are different layers of cells called germ
cells. The three different types of germ cells are
-

· Ectoderm – It is the outermost layer which forms nail, hair, epidermis, etc.
· Endoderm - It is the innermost layer which forms stomach, colon, urinary bladder,
etc.
· Mesoderm – It is the middle layer between ectoderm and endoderm which forms
bones, cartilage, etc.

So, according to the number of germ layers present in embryonic stage, animal could
be:
i)  Diploblastic - organisms which derived from two embryonic germ layers (ecto and
endo).
ii) Triploblastic - organisms which derived from all the three embryonic germ layers.
3. Coelom: Body cavity or coelom is important for proper functioning of various
organs. For example, heart which has to contract and expand needs some cavity or
empty space, which is provided by the coelom.
On the basis of presence or absence of coelom, organisms are divided into:
i) Acoelomates - these are the simple organisms having no body cavity.
ii) Coelomates - these are complex organisms having true cavity lined by mesoderm
from all sides.
iii) Pseudo coelomate - these are organisms having false coelom. They have pouches
of mesoderm scattered between endoderm and ectoderm.
4. Notochord: it is a long rod like structure, which runs along the body between
nervous tissues and gut and provides place for muscle to attach for ease of movement.
Organisms could be:
 Without notochord

 With Notochord

 With Notochord in initial embryonic stages and vertebral column in adult phase.
Phylum 1: Porifera or Sponges
Following are its basic features:

· Cellular level of organization.

· Non motile animals.
· Holes on body which led to a canal system for circulation of water and food.
· Hard outside layer called as skeletons.
· Examples- Sycon, Spongilla, Euplectelia.
Phylum 2: Coelenterata
Following are its basic features:

· Tissue level of organization

· Have coelom
· Radial symmetry, Diploblastic
· Hollow gut
· Can move from one place to another.
· Examples: hydra, sea anemone, jelly fish( solitary) ; corals (colonies)
Phylum 3: Platyhelminthes
Following are its basic features:

· Also called flat worms.

· No coelom present
· Bilateral symmetry, Triploblastic
· Free living or parasite
· Digestive cavity has one opening for both ingestion and egestion.
· Example - Planaria (free living), Liver fluke (parasitic).
Phylum 4: Nematoda
Following are its basic features:

· False coelom
· Bilateral symmetry, Triploblastic
· Cylindrical
· Many are parasitic worms living inside human body, and can cause various
diseases, like Filarial worm causes elephantiasis, Round worms and Pin worms live
in human intestine.
· Example - Ascaris, Wuchereria.
Phylum 5: Annelida
Following are its basic features:

· Second largest phylum

· Coelom present
· Bilateral, triploblastic
· Segmented ( segments specialized for different functions)
· Water or land
· Extensive Organ differentiation
· Examples - Earthworm, Leech, Nereis
Phylum 6: Arthropoda
Following are the basic features:

· Largest phylum (consist of 80% of species)

· Generally known as insects.
· Coelom present
· Bilateral, triploblastic
· Segmented, sometimes fused
· Tough exo- skeleton of chitin
· Joint appendages like feet, antenna
· Example- Prawn, Scorpio, Cockroach, Housefly, Butterfly, Spider,
Phylum 7: Mollusca
Following are its basic features:

· Coelom present
· Triploblastic, bilateral symmetry
· Soft bodies sometimes covered with shell
· Generally not segmented
· No appendages present
· Muscular foot for movement
· Shell is present
· Kidney like organ for excretion
· Examples - Chiton, Octopus, Pila, Unio.
Phylum 8: Echinodermata
Following are its basic features:

· Spiny skin, Marine

· No notochord
· Coelom present , bilateral symmetry, triploblastic
· Endoskeleton of calcium carbonate.
· Water vascular system for locomotion.
· Bilateral symmetry before birth and radial symmetry after birth.
· Example- Antedon, Sea cucumber, Star fish, Echinus.
Phylum 9: Chordata
Following are its basic features:

· Bilateral symmetry, Triploblastic

· Coelom present
· Notochord
· Gills present at some phase of life.
· Dorsal nerve chord
· Post anal tail present at some stage of life, For example, present in humans in
embryonic stages.
· Subdivided into two
(a) Protochordata - (In book Phylum 9)

· Notochord at some stage of life

· Marine
· Example - Herdmania, Amphioxus, Balanoglossus

(b) Vertebrata - (In book Phylum 10)

· Notochord converted to vertebral column

· 2,3,4 chambered heart
· Organs like kidney for excretion
· Pair appendages
· Example - humans(4 chambered), frog(3 chambered), fishes(2 chambered)

Vertebrates are divided into five classes namely Pisces, Amphibia, Reptillia, Aves and
Mammalia.
 Following are some common features of
the five classes of
vertebrates:
Note -

 Warm blooded organism: these are organisms which maintain same body
temperature irrespective of outside temperature. Example – humans. Human’s
body temperature is approximately 370.
 Cold blooded organisms: these are organisms which changes their body
temperature as per surrounding temperature. Example – frog
 Fishes are divided into two on the basis of skeleton:

i) Fishes with bony skeleton called bony fishes. Example- Tuna.

ii) Fishes with cartilage skeleton called Cartilaginous fishes. Example – Shark
 Nomenclature 
An organism can have different names in different languages. This creates
confusion in naming organism. So, a scientific name is needed which is same
in all languages. Binomial nomenclature system given by Carolus Linnaeus is
used for naming different organisms.

Following are some conventions in writing the scientific names:

 Genus should be written followed by the species.

 First letter of the genus should be capital and that of the species should be in
small.
 When printed, the name should be written in italics.

 When written with hands, the genus and species should be underlined
separately.
 Example – Homo sapiens for humans, Panthera tigris for tiger.
ADDITIONAL
AND NOT IN
THE BOOK
Phylum 10: Ctenophores
Following are its basic features:

· Tissue level of organization

· No coelom present
· Radial symmetry, Diploblastic
· Have Comb plates for locomotion
· Aquatic
· Examples- Pleurobrachia
Phylum 11: Hemichordata
Following are its basic features:

· Small group of marine animals

· Cylindrical, Bilateral symmetry, triploblastic
· Coelom pre sent
· Gills for respiration
· Examples - Balanoglossus
Thank you