Diversity+of+Life

Diversity of Life

Scientists classify living things into groups based on their internal and external characteristics.

There are 8 levels of classification: Domain Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species

The more levels two organisms share, the more characteristics they have in common, and the more “related” they are to one another.

The kingdom level is the level with the most different kinds of organisms; the species level is the level with the fewest different kinds of organisms.

An organism’s scientific name comes from its genus and species name. Binomial Nomenclature of some common plants and animals:
 * **Common name** || **Scientific name** ||
 * Pea plant || //Pisum sativam// ||
 * Onion plant || //Allium cepa// ||
 * Wheat plant || //Triticum aestivum// ||
 * Frog || //Rana hexadactyla// ||
 * Cat || Felis domestica ||
 * Dog || Canis Familiaris ||

**Taxonomic keys** are a series of steps that can help us determine what organisms are.

= THE SIX KINGDOMS = =When deciding what kingdom to place an organism, scientists will look at three characteristics** : **= prokaryotes - there is no nucleus in the cells eukaryotes – there is nuclei in the cells
 * 1. ****__Cell Type__**

autotrophs – organism can make its own food heterotrophs – organism has to eat other things
 * 2.** **__How the organism gets its food or nutrition:__**

unicellular –organism is one cell big multicellular – organism has many cells in its body
 * 3.** **__The number of cells that make up the organism:__**

1. __archaebacteria__- the bacteria that lives in extreme places; it’s “ancient” 2. __eubacteria__- the bacteria that lives in an on you 3. __protists__- the kingdom of many different organisms with a nucleus. If an organism doesn’t exactly fit in fungi, plants, or animals, it is placed in the protist kingdom. "The Kingdom of Misfits" 4. __fungi__ – the kingdom of mushrooms and yeast 5. __plants__ – the kingdom of plants 6. __animals__ – the kingdom of all animals
 * The six kingdoms are: **

or heterotroph || Either autotroph or heterotroth || Either autotroph or heterotroph || heterotroph || autotroph || heterotroph || multicellular || Either unicellular or multicellular || multicellular || multicellular || Halophiles || E. coli Strep bacteria || Euglena Amoeba Paramecium || Mushrooms Yeast Penicillium || Mosses Trees Cacti || Sponges Humans Insects ||
 * = **Kingdom name** ||= **Archaebacteria** ||= **Eubacteria** ||= **Protist** ||= **Fungi** ||= **Plant** ||= **Animal** ||
 * **Cell Type** || Prokaryote || Prokaryote || Eukaryote || Eukaryote || Eukaryote || Eukaryote ||
 * **Nutrition** || Either autotroph
 * **Cell #** || unicellular || unicellular || Either unicellular or
 * **Examples** || Thermophiles

= Scientists use other characteristics to classify organisms into smaller groups! = __vascular plants__- are taller plants that live in dry or moist environments. They have tubes called //xylem// that moves water up the stem from the roots. //Phloem// are tubes that carry sugars down the stem from the leaves. The cell walls of vascular plants are very thick. Some examples are trees, flowers, and cacti. __nonvascular plants__- are very short plants that live on in moist environments. The water and sugars just seep from cell to cell. Their cell walls are very thin. Some examples are moss and liverworts.
 * Here are some examples of how scientists classify organisms within the plant and animal kingdom into smaller groups: **
 * 1. Vascular and Nonvascular Plants **

__ diffusion __ - oxygen and carbon dioxide moves through the skin or cell membrane of the animal. __trachea__- tubes that carry oxygen to the body __gills__- used to get oxygen from water __lungs__- organs that inflate with air
 * 2. Respiratory Systems in animals **

__open circulatory system__ – blood washes over the organs, very few blood vessels, found in simple organisms like the clam __closed circulatory system__ – blood stays inside the blood vessels, found in complex organisms like mammals and birds
 * 3. Circulatory Systems in animals **