Classification enables us to better comprehend variety. It aids in the identification of living entities and in comprehending their variety. It enables us to get knowledge about the many species of plants and animals, their characteristics, similarities, and differences. It allows us to comprehend the evolution of complex species from simpler organisms.
Living Organisms Classification
Classification of living beings is primarily for the purpose of avoiding misunderstanding, simplifying the study of organisms, and determining how distinct species are linked to one another.Scientists divided biological species into many kingdoms, phyla, and classes based on a variety of criteria.
Justification for categorisation
Our mother planet is home to millions to billions of living species ranging in size from microscopic organisms to massive animals and people. We may observe a variety of plants, insects, birds, and animals in our immediate surroundings. These live species have been categorised into their respective groups based on a variety of specific characteristics.
There are numerous animal, bird, insect, and plant species that vary in their mode of nourishment, habitat, and life cycle. Their names also vary by region, even within a country. To avoid this type of misunderstanding, scientists categorised and named them based on their characteristics.
Importance of classifying organisms in animal kingdom
This world is home to millions of living species. Some have yet to be discovered. These known living creatures include animals, plants, and microbes. Each of them has a high degree of variety. Nonetheless, there are certain similarities amongst groupings of creatures, and this is what links them together.
Animal classification enables us to comprehend their properties as well as their distinctions from other species. Animals are the most well-known creatures. They are classified scientifically as members of the Kingdom Animalia, more often referred to as the Animal Kingdom. Let us discover more about this illustrious Kingdom!
Animal Kingdom
Kingdom Animalia encompasses species ranging in complexity from the smallest animal forms to the most sophisticated. At one end of this animal categorisation system are tiny creatures. At the opposite end, you’ll find creatures that you’re likely to encounter in your daily life. For instance, you and your buddies are members of the Animal Kingdom. Your beloved dog, bird, or cat, as well as those pesky insects seen in gardens, are all members of this vast world.
All creatures that belong to this Kingdom are classified as Eukaryotic. They are all multicellular, containing several cells. The cells lack cell walls. Additionally, they have a heterotrophic method of feeding, which implies they cannot produce their own food.
The Numerous Phyla
Animal classification is referred to as Kingdom Animalia. It is further subdivided into phyla. These are simply classifications of animals/organisms that share certain traits. Apart from the Animal Kingdom’s key distinguishing qualities (Eukaryotic, Multicellular, Without a Cell Wall, and Heterotrophic), each phylum contains species with shared characteristics. They progress from the simplest to the most complicated on the chart of animal classification.
The following are the several phyla that comprise the categorisation of animals:
- Phylum Porifera
- Phylum Coelenterata
- Phylum Platyhelminthes
- Phylum Nematoda
- Phylum Annelida
- Phylum Arthropoda
- Phylum Mollusca
- Phylum Echinodermata
- Phylum Protochordata
- Phylum Vertebrata
Criterion for classification of organisms as belonging to kingdom Monera or Protista
Monera creatures are unicellular and prokaryotic, whereas Protista species are unicellular and eukaryotic.
The complexity of the cell structure, body organisation, nutrition, lifestyle, and evolutionary link are the primary factors for dividing creatures into five kingdoms. Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia comprise this system.
- Monera and Protista Kingdoms
- Monera is a cellular structure that is unicellular and prokaryotic in nature.
- Protista is a cellular structure that is both unicellular and eukaryotic.
- Monera lacks cellular organelles.
- Protista are well-defined and have organelles that are membrane-bound.
- Protists are classified into three classes for classification purposes:
- Animal-like protists that are heterotrophic and capable of movement.
- Protists that resemble plants and are photosynthetic autotrophs.
- Protists that resemble fungi, are heterotrophs, have cells with cell walls, and reproduce via spores.
Conclusion
Classification is the process of categorising diverse types of living creatures according to their physical traits, cellular division, and function. The significance of classification is that it enables easy and systematic study of these species by classifying them into kingdoms.