CLASSIFICATION OF ORGANISMS

6.12 D

HOW ARE LIVING ORGANISMS CLASSIFIED?We classify living organisms into a Domain and Kingdom based on the following characteristics:

If they are…

• Unicellular or Multicellular

• Prokaryotic or Eukaryotic

• Autotrophic or Heterotrophic

• Mode of Reproduction:

Sexual or Asexual

UNICELLULAR

Organisms made of only ONE cell.Ex: Bacteria, Archaea, Protista, Amoeba

Hint: the word UNI=One

MULTICELLULAROrganisms that are made of MORE than one cell.

Ex: Animals, Plants and Fungi

Hint: the word MULTI=Many

PROKARYOTIC• An organism whose

organelles (cell parts) do NOT contain a NUCLEUS.

• Very SIMPLE Structure

Hint: Pro means NO Nucleus

EUKARYOTIC • An organism whose cell

parts have a NUCLEUS

• The “Eu” in Eukaryotic is pronounced “YOU”.

• Very COMPLEX Structure.

Hint: “Eu”karyotic cells are like YOU…all of your cells have a NUCLEUS.

PROKARYOTIC VS. EUKARYOTIC

Prokaryotic• No Nucleus and Simple Structure

• Ex: Archaea and Bacteria Domain

Eukaryotic• Has a Nucleus and Complex Structure

• Ex: Eukarya Domain

AUTOTROPHIC

Organisms that are capable of making their own food.Ex: Plants, Bacteria, Archaea and Protists.

HETEROTROPHIC

Organisms that can NOT make their own food.Ex: Animals, Humans, and Fungi

ASEXUAL REPRODUCTIONReproduction of a cell that does not require two parents, but only the cell making an exact copy of itself.

Ex: Lizard regenerating its tail

Ex: When you get a scab and skin cells reproduce to create new skin.

SEXUAL REPRODUCTIONReproduction of an organism that requires two parents to create new offspring.Ex: Babies, puppies, kittens