Classification of Plants and Animals

Science Study Guide

What is classification?

• The process of grouping similar things together.

How is it useful to scientists?

• Helps classify plants and animals in manageable way.

• Grouping living things by similarities and differences.

How do you classify organisms?

• Kingdom• Phyla• Class• Order• Family• Genus• Species

Remember: Kids Prefer Candy Over Fancy Green Salads

How do scientists group organisms?

• Grouping organisms by features they share.• Shape• Size• Body parts• Color

What are the five kingdoms of living things?

• Animals• Plants• Bacteria• Fungi• Protists

What is the main difference between members of the plant

kingdom and members of animal kingdom?

• Plants make their own food• Animals eat other living things

What are the characteristics of living things?

• Breath (oxygen or carbon dioxide)• Eat (makes own food or eats other living

things)• Reproduce• Grow• Change• Live (habitat)

How are animals classified into groups?

• The largest way animals are broken into groups is based on whether they have backbones or have no backbone.

What are animals with backbones called?• Vertebrates (with a

backbone)• This group includes:

• Fish• Amphibians• Reptiles• Birds• Mammals

What are the characteristics of fish?

• Vertebrates• Cold-blooded• Have gills and

scales• Live in water

What are the characteristics of reptiles?

• Vertebrates• Cold-blooded• Have scales• Live on land• Usually lay eggs

What are the characteristics of amphibians?

• Vertebrates• Live in or around

water• Cold-blooded• Have smooth

skin (must be kept moist)

• Lay eggs

What are the characteristics of birds?

• Vertebrates• Have hollow

bones• Have feathers• Warm-blooded• Most can fly• Lay eggs• Have beaks

What are the characteristics of mammals?

• Vertebrates• Have fur or hair• Warm-blooded• Feed milk to their

young• Bear live young

(except platypus’-lay eggs)

What are animals without backbones called?• Invertebrates (without a

backbone• This group includes:

• Sponges• Anemones• Jellyfish• Worms• Snails• Sea stars• Mollusks

• Urchins• Insects• Spiders• Ticks• Lobsters• Crabs• Crayfish

What are invertebrates?

Without a backbone!

Classification of Plants

How are plants classified into groups?

• Plants have characteristics that are similar and different too.

• Two major types of plants: • Vascular• Nonvascular

What are vascular plants?

• Plants that have tiny ‘tubes’ that run between the roots and leaves.

• Examples:• Trees• Ferns• Grass

Pictures of magnified vascular plants?

Enlarged picture of ash wood tree. Notice long vascular tubing. 

Major vascular vein in Zinnia leaf. Coiled tubing.

More pictures of vascular plants.

Magnified horizontal view (400x). The strands consist of tubes with spirally thickened walls that appear like minute coiled springs.

What are nonvascular plants?• Plants that do not

have tissue that carries water from root to leaf.

• Examples:• Mosses• Liverworts• Hornworts

Picture of nonvascular plant.

A small mushroom emerging from a clump of mosses and liverworts on a shady, moist bank in southern California.

Classification Review

• Plants and Animals are ‘multi-celled’ organisms.

• 7 ways to classify all living things• Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family,

genus, species

• 5 Kingdoms are: • Animals, Plants, Bacteria, Fungi, and

Protists