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MPPSC

DAILY
CLASS NOTES
Science & Tech

Lecture – 32
Classification of Animal and Plants
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Classification of Animal and Plants

Classification of Animal and Plants

❖ The modern classification of organisms begins with the two

kingdom classification of Carolus Linnaeus.

❖ He divided organisms into animal kingdom and plant kingdom.

That is why Linnaeus is also called the father of classification.

❖ Linnaeus developed the binomial system of naming, under which

the name of every organism has two parts. The first part
represents its genus while the second part represents its species. For example, the
scientific name of humans is Homo sapiens, where Homo is the genus while sapiens is
the species.

❖ In modern biology, the most recognition is given to the 'five kingdom classification' of
R. Whittaker.

❖ He divided the animal kingdom into five major classes Monera, Protista, Fungi,
Plantae, Animalia.

1. Monera

❖ It is a group of unicellular prokaryotic organisms, i.e. they

have neither an organized nucleus nor developed
organelles.

❖ Some of these have cell wall and some do not. On the

level of nutrition, they can be both autotrophic or
heterotrophic.

❖ For example: bacteria, blue green algae or cyanobacteria,

mycoplasma etc.

2. Protista

❖ These include unicellular eukaryotic organisms.

❖ Some organisms of this class also have structures

called cilia, flagella for movement.

❖ They are both autotrophs and heterotrophs.

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❖ For example, unicellular algae, diatoms, protozoa, etc.

❖ Paramecium and Amoeba are members of this kingdom.

3. Fungi

❖ These are heterotrophic eukaryotic organisms.

❖ They depend on decaying organic matter for nutrition, hence

they are also called saprophytes.

❖ Many of them attain multicellularity at a particular stage of

their life.

❖ These fungi have a cell wall made up of complex sugar called

chitin.

❖ For example - yeast, mushrooms etc. are members of this kingdom.

Lichen

❖ Lichens are mainly formed as a result of the combination of algae and fungi.

❖ The algal component is called the algal part and the fungal component is called the
fungal part, which are mainly autotrophic and heterotrophic.

❖ The algae synthesizes food for the fungus, while the fungus provides shelter for the
algae.

4. Planty

❖ This group is a group of multicellular eukaryotic organisms having cell wall.

❖ They are autotrophs and prepare their own food by the

process of photosynthesis, i.e. all plants containing
chlorophyll are members of this group.

5. Animalia

❖ This is a class of all multicellular eukaryotic organisms that

do not have a cell wall.

❖ Organisms in this class are heterotrophs, that is, all animals are members of this
kingdom.
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Plant Kingdom

❖ Within the plant kingdom, their primary classification can be done based on whether
the major components of the plant body are fully developed and differentiated.

❖ For further classification, it can also be seen whether specialized tissues are present in
the plant body that conduct water and other substances.

Cryptogamae Class

1. Thallophyta

❖ All the components of the body of these plants are not fully differentiated, that is,
there is no differentiation in their structure.

❖ Plants of this class are commonly called algae.

❖ These are mainly aquatic plants, such as Ulothrix, Spirogyra, Cara, etc.

2. Bryophyta

❖ Plants of this class do not have special vascular tissues to transport water and other
things from one part of the body to another.

❖ This plant is divided into structures like stem and leaves.

❖ Plants of this class are also called 'amphibians of the plant class'.
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❖ Example - Moss (Funaria), Marchantia etc.

3. Pteridophyta

❖ The body of these plants is divided into root, stem and leaves.

❖ Vascular tissue is also present in them.

❖ For example fern, azolla, horse tail etc.

❖ Plants of the above three classes have indirect reproductive organs and do not have

the ability to produce seeds.

❖ They have naked embryos which are called spores.

❖ These plants lacking the ability to produce seeds are called cryptogams.
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Phanerogamae Class

❖ All such plants having well developed and differentiated reproductive tissues which
produce seeds after the reproduction process are called Phanerogams.

❖ Based on the position of seed, Phanerophyte plants are divided into two classes -
Gymnosperms i.e. plants having naked seeds and Angiosperms i.e. plants having seeds
enclosed inside the fruit.

Gymnosperms

❖ These plants are naked seeded i.e. their seeds are not
inside the fruits.

❖ These plants are perennial, evergreen and woody, like

Pinus and Cycas.

Angiosperms

❖ The seeds of these plants are enclosed inside the fruits.

❖ The seeds develop inside the ovary which later becomes the fruit.

❖ They are also called flowering plants.

❖ Based on the number of cotyledons, the angiosperm class is divided into two parts,
monocotyledons having one cotyledon and dicotyledons having two cotyledons.

Hierarchy of classification of plants and animals

❖ The classification of plants and animals follows a hierarchical system known as

taxonomy.

➢ Kingdom

➢ Phylum

➢ Class

➢ Order

➢ Family

➢ Genus

➢ Species

➢ Subspecies
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Phylum Protozoa
❖ Traditionally, protozoa refer to a
diverse group of single-celled
eukaryotic organisms. Due to
advances in molecular biology
they are now often distributed
in several different phyla.
Characteristics
❖ Unicellular eukaryotes.
❖ Can be free-living or parasitic.
❖ Various modes of motility: cilia, flagella or pseudopodia.
Example
❖ Amoeba proteus (amoeboids)
❖ Paramecium caudate (ciliates)
❖ Plasmodium falciparum (sporozoans, causes malaria)
❖ Euglena gracilis (flagellates)
Phylum Porifera (Sponges)
❖ Sponges are simple multicellular organisms that are mainly marine.
Characteristics
❖ Lack true tissues and organs.
❖ Have pores and channels that allow water to circulate through them.
❖ Have a skeleton made of spicules (calcium carbonate or silica) or spongin.
Example
❖ Sycon (calcareous sponge)
❖ Euspongia (commercial sponge)
Phylum Coelenterate (Cnidaria)
❖ Cnidarians are primarily marine
animals known for their specialized cells
called cnidocytes.
Characteristics
❖ Radial symmetry
❖ Two main body forms: polyp (sessile) and medusa (free-swimming).
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❖ Cnidocytes contain nematocysts for defense and prey capture.

Example
❖ Hydra (Hydrozoa)
❖ Aurelia aurita (moon jellyfish, Scyphozoa)
❖ Coral reefs (Anthozoa).
Phylum Platyhelminthes (flatworms)
❖ Flatworms are simple bivalve, unsegmented,
soft-bodied invertebrates.
Characteristics
❖ Bilateral symmetry with flattened body.
❖ Lack of specialized circulatory and respiratory
systems.
❖ Simple digestive system with a single pore.
Example
❖ Planaria (free-living flatworms).
❖ Schistosoma (blood-sucking, parasites).
❖ Taenia (tapeworms).
❖ Phylum Annelida
❖ Annelida are segmented worms found in
a variety of environments.
Characteristics
❖ Segmented body with true coelom.
❖ Closed circulatory system.
❖ Bristle-like structures called setae.
Example
❖ Lumbricus Terrestris (earthworm)
❖ Hirudo medicinalis (medicinal leech)
❖ Nereis (polychaete worm)
Phylum Arthropoda
❖ Arthropoda is the largest phylum of animals, which includes insects, arachnids,
myriapods and crustaceans.
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Characteristics
❖ Exoskeleton made of chitin.
❖ Segmented body with jointed
appendages.
❖ Open circulatory system.
Example
❖ Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly,
Insecta)
❖ Carcinus Maenas (green crab,
Crustacea)
❖ Araneus Diadematus (garden spider, Arachnida)
Phylum Mollusca
❖ The Mollusca are a diverse group of invertebrates with soft bodies, many of which
have a hard shell.
Characteristics
❖ Soft-bodied, usually with a shell of calcium carbonate.
❖ Muscular foot, visceral mass and mantle.
❖ Many have a radula (a toothed structure) for feeding.
Example
❖ Octopus vulgaris (common octopus, Cephalopoda)
❖ Helix aspersa (garden snail, Gastropoda)
❖ Mytilus edulis (blue mussel, Bivalvia)
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Phylum Chordata
❖ The phylum Chordata is one of the major phyla of the animal kingdom, consisting of
animals that have a notochord, a dorsal nerve cord, a pharyngeal slit, and a post-
anal tail at some stage of their lives.
❖ Chordata is divided into several subphyla, of which Vertebrata is the most
prominent.
❖ The major classes within Vertebrates and their characteristics, focusing especially on
Pisces (fishes), Amphibia (amphibians), Aves (birds), and Mammalia (mammals,
including Prototheria, Metatheria, and Eutheria).

Pisces class -
❖ All the animals that are cold-blooded are included in this.
❖ The heart is bicameral and pumps only impure blood.
❖ The respiratory process in them is done through gills. They use oxygen dissolved in
water for breathing.
❖ The skeleton of some fishes is made of cartilage. For example – shark, Scoliodon.
❖ Example – seahorse, rohu, catla.
Amphibia class -
❖ All the members of this class are amphibians and cold-blooded.
❖ The respiratory process in these organisms is done through lungs, skin and clams.
❖ Their hearts are three chambered.
❖ Example – frog.
Reptile class -
❖ The animals of this class are cold-blooded.
❖ The respiratory process in these organisms is done through lungs.
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❖ These are the true terrestrial vertebrates.

❖ These animals lay eggs.
❖ The heart of these animals is generally of three chambers. As an exception, the heart
of a crocodile is of four chambers.
❖ Examples – Snake, crocodile, alligator, lizard, tortoise.
Birds class –
❖ These are homeothermic organisms.
❖ Respiration in these organisms is done through lungs.
❖ The forelimbs of the animals of this class develop and get transformed into wings.
❖ The heart of these animals has four chambers.
❖ The urinary bladder is absent in them.
❖ Examples – Crow, bird, parrot, peacock.
Mammals class –
❖ All the animals of this class are heather/hyperthermic.
❖ Sweat glands or oil glands are found on the skin.
❖ Their heart has four chambers.
❖ They have external ears.
❖ Their RBCs do not have a nucleus. (Exceptions – Camel, llama have a nucleus in their
RBCs.)

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