• Classification of living organisms helps us in exploring the
diversity of life forms.
• The classification of life forms is related to their
evolution. All organisms are classified into five major kingdoms can be done on
the basis of following characteristics:
(a) whether they are made of prokaryotic or
eukaryotic cells
(b) whether the cells are living singly or
organised into multicellular and thus complex organisms
(c) whether the cells have a cell-wall and
whether they prepare their own food.
• Plantae and Animalia are further divided into subdivisions
on the basis of increasing complexity of body organisation.
• Living organisms can be divided into five
kingdoms: Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia. Woose introduced a modification
in this system by dividing the Monera into Archaebacteria (or Archaea) and
Eubacteria (or Bacteria) is also in use.
• Plants can be divided into five groups: Thallophytes,
Bryophytes, Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms and Angiosperms.
• Animals can be divided into ten groups: Porifera,
Coelenterata, Platyhelminthes, Nematoda, Annelida, Arthropoda, Mollusca,
Echinodermata, Protochordata and Vertebrata.
• The binomial nomenclature is made up of two words – a
generic name and a specific name. It makes the identification of vast diversity
of life around us possible.
