1. Classification and binomial naming

2. Starter Classification
What do you remember about classification from GCSE?

3. Learning objective Success criteria
To understand how and why we classify organisms
Success criteria
Learners should be able to demonstrate and apply their knowledge and understanding of: (a) the biological classification of species To include the taxonomic hierarchy of kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species AND domain. (b) the binomial system of naming species and the advantage of such a system

4. Classification Why do we classify organisms? To identify species
To predict characteristics
To find evolutionary relationships (common ancestors)

5. Key Terms Taxonomy Classification Phylogeny
The study of the principles behind classification
Classification
The process of organising of living organisms into groups.
Natural classification – grouping according to how closely organisms are related and reflects evolutionary relationships
Phylogeny
The study of evolutionary relationships between organisms

6. Evolution of classification systems
Carl Linnaeus started it all off 250 years ago using visible features of organisms - limited
C17th microscopes allowed us to look at cells, later electron microscopes allowed us to look inside cells
Physiology
How living organisms work
Biochemistry
Comparison of biological molecules eg. Cytochrome c (protein used in respiration: almost all species have it, but it is not identical in all, the more similar the amino acid sequence the more closely related the organisms)
DNA
Comparison of DNA sequences – probably most accurate

7. Levels of Classification
Classification systems (from GCSE)
Organisms can only belong to one group in the taxonomic hierarchy. As you rise through the ranks of classification (taxa) the individuals grouped together show more and more diversity
Levels of Classification K P
Crisps
Only
Fry
Good
Spuds
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species

8. What is a species?
The hierarchy ends with species. A group that can contain only one organism. A species is a group of similar organisms able to reproduce and produce fertile offspring. Scientists constantly update the classification systems because of discoveries about new species and new evidence about known organisms.

9. The 5 kingdoms Proposed by Robert Whittaker
(We’ll come back to this next lesson in more detail)
Proposed by Robert Whittaker
PROKARYOTES
Prokaryotes

10. Kingdom vs Domain
(We’ll come back to this next lesson in more detail)
In 1990 Carl Woese suggested 3 Domain classification system based on fundamental differences in RNA
He divided the prokaryotes into
Bacteria (Eubacteria)
Archaea (Archaebacteria)
This is now widely accepted

11. Binomial System Originally started by Carl Linneaus Means ‘two names’
First word indicates the genus (generic name)
Second word indicates the species (specific name)
Unique (Latin) name e.g. Homo sapiens
Genus always starts with a capital letter
Can be abbreviated to H. sapiens
If printed the text should be in italics of handwritten the text is underlined

12. Binomial System: Why was it needed?
Different common name around the country
Different common name in different countries
Translation of language or dialects may give different names
Same common name may mean a different species in a different part of the world