Unit 6:

The diversity of life

1. Classification of living beings

1.1. Groups of living beings
1.2. Species
1.3. Naming living beings

2. The five Kingdoms

3. Biodiversity
3.1. The origin of biodiversity
3.2. The value of biodiversity
3.3. The loss of biodiversity

Think and answer?

a. Can you name the living being in the photo?

Classify it into a group of animals.

b. Name some animals of the same group.

Why are they classified into this group?

c. Life is very diverse. Why do you think there are so

many species of living things?

d. What does it mean that a species is extinct?

UNIT OBJECTIVES
In this unit you will learn:
 To distinguish between different groups of living things.
 To classify living beings according to their characteristics.
 To define what a species is.
 To know how living beings are named by scientific criteria.
 To distinguish between the five kingdoms of livings things.
 To explain the values of biodiversity.
 To identify the factors which endanger species.
UNIT 6: The diversity of life Biology and Geology (1st ESO)

1. Classification of living beings

1.1. Groups of living beings

Taxonomy is the science that orders and classifies living creatures.

The classification of living beings allows us to organise them into groups, called taxa, based on
the characteristics that define them.

Classification criteria are the features that allow scientists group together determined living
things and distinguish them from others.

Every group (taxon) can be divided into other smaller groups following other criteria.
We can continue the process making smaller and smaller groups that are contained within the
previous one. This type of classification is known as hierarchic.

Each group or category is called taxonomic rank. The main taxonomic ranks are: kingdom,
phylum, class, order, family, genus and species. Each kingdom includes several phyla, each
phylum includes several classes, each class includes several orders, each order includes several
families, each family includes several genera and each genus includes several species.

Taxonomic rank Example

KINGDOM

PHYLUM

CLASS

ORDER

FAMILY

GENUS

SPECIE

1.2. Species
The most important taxonomic rank
is the species.

A species is a set of living beings

which are physically similar
and which can reproduce among them
and produce fertile descendants
or offspring.
UNIT 6: The diversity of life Biology and Geology (1st ESO)

1.3. Naming living beings

Binomial nomenclature is a standard convention used for naming species. This system of
nomenclature was developed by Carl Von Linnaeus, a Swedish naturalist in the 18th century.

The scientific name helps us to identify a species without doubts because common names can
vary from one place to another.

The scientific name of every species is the combination of two words: the genus (generic
name) and the species (called specific name).

- The language used is the Latin. Common name: Sparrow

- The generic name (always capitalised) is written first
and then the specific name (never capitalised)
- It is always written italicised or underlined.
- Every species has its own binomial name (only one and exclusive)

The species name refers to a characteristic of the species (size, colour, etc) or to the name of
its discoverer or to the place where it was discovered.

The scientific name can give us information about the evolutionary relationship between
organisms: two species with the same generic name have a closer relationship than two species
with different generic names.

READING ACTIVITIES
After reading the text, copy and answer the following questions into your notebook:
Remember: you must make complete sentences.

1.1. What two organisms of every one of the following groups are more closely related?
(Underline them) Why?
a. Populus alba – Pinus nigra – Populus nigra
b. Equus caballus – Equus zebra – Hyla cinerea
c. Lavandula officinalis – Valeriana officinalis – Lavandula angustifolia

1.2. Imagine that you had discovered these new organisms for science, how would you
call them?

a. A very little bird of Turdus genus………………………………………….

b. A plant with flowers with lots of colours, of Peonia genus… …………………

c. A harmless spider of Lycosa genus……………………………………… ….

1.3. This sketch represents the species that are in the same class.

a. How many orders exist in this class?

b. How many families are included in every order?

c. How many genera does each family have?

d. How many species are included into this class?

e. What genus presents the highest diversity of species?

UNIT 6: The diversity of life Biology and Geology (1st ESO)

2. The five kingdoms

The largest taxonomic rank is the kingdom. There are five kingdoms: Monera, Protoctist,
Fungi, Plants (or Plantae) and Animals (or Animalia). Living beings are included into one of
them following the criteria that are summarised in this table:

KINGDOM MONERA PROTOCTIST FUNGI PLANTS ANIMALS

Unicellular Unicellular
Number of cells Unicellular and and Multicellular Multicellular
Multicellular Multicellular

Type of cells Prokaryotic Eukaryotic Eukaryotic Eukaryotic Eukaryotic

Cellular Cellular Multicellular

Multicellular
and and (with real
Level (with real
Cellular multicellular multicellular tissues,
of organization tissues and
(without (without organs and
organs)
real tissues) real tissues) systems)

Autotrophic Autotrophic
Autotrophic
Nutrition and and Heterotrophic Heterotrophic
Vital functions

(Photosynthesis)
Heterotrophic Heterotrophic

Relation Very Simplex Simplex Simplex Complex Very complex

Asexual Asexual Asexual

Reproduction Asexual and and and Sexual
Sexual Sexual Sexual

Mushrooms Mosses Insects

Protozoa
EXAMPLES Bacteria Moulds Trees Amphibians
Algae
Yeasts Grass Mammals

The philogenetic tree is the way to represent graphically the evolutionary relationship between
living beings:

Vertebrates
Flowering Ferns
plants

Fungi
Conifers Mosses
Invertebrates

Plants
Animals
Algae
Protozoa

Protoctist
Cyanobacteria
Bacteria

Monera
UNIT 6: The diversity of life Biology and Geology (1st ESO)

READING ACTIVITIES
After reading the text, copy and answer the following questions into your notebook:
Remember: you must make complete sentences.

2.1. A scientist has to classify five unknown species. He has put all the information he
has about them in the next table. Look at the table and try to help to the scientist.

Specie 1 Kingdom..............................
Species
Specie 2 Kingdom..............................
1 2 3 4 5
Specie 3 Kingdom..............................
With prokaryotic cells - - - + -
With eukaryotic cells + + + - + Specie 4 Kingdom..............................

Unicellular - + - + - Specie 5 Kingdom..............................

Multicellular + - + - +
With real tissues + - - - +
Without real tissues - - + - -
Autotroph - - + + +

Heterotroph + + - - -
UNIT 6: The diversity of life Biology and Geology (1st ESO)

3. Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the number of different species of living beings that exist on Earth.

Scientists believe there may be more than thirty million species, of which only two million species have
been classified.

3.1. Origin of biodiversity

Biodiversity is the result of a slow process called evolution. Evolution began with the first life
forms and still continues today.
Adaptation is the process of adjustment of living beings to their changing environment.
The great diversity of environments that exist on the Earth provokes that living beings have to
change and adapt to the different conditions to survive. This process gives as a result a great
quantity and variety of species.
Biodiversity varies tremendously throughout the world. It is influenced by climate and habitats.
For example, more than half the world's species live in tropical rain forests and coral reefs.

Some countries, for example Spain, have many different climate zones and habitats. As a result,
they have more biological diversity.

3.2. The importance of biodiversity

Biodiversity is a natural resource that we must preserve because we depend on it.
The values of biodiversity are several:
- Economic value: Living beings provide us with food, medicines, raw materials and energy.

- Recreational value: Natural environment is a source of economic incomes by tourism

and satisfies our need for leisure and have beneficial effects on our health.

- Scientific value: Keeping biodiversity allows that the scientists know better the nature
and how it works.

- Ecological value: Each species plays a determinate role in the ecosystem. They depend on each
other and they all are important to maintain the ecological balance.

- Genetic value: Each species stores in their genes, the adaptations it had to develop to survive.

3.3. The loss of biodiversity

Many species become extinct or they are endangered every day for these factors:
- Destruction of habitats caused by deforestation (for burning or logging), construction, etc.

- Overexploitation of resources, such as uncontrolled hunting and fishing that put in danger
many species (E. g. Iberian Lynx)

- Pollution of water, soil and atmosphere, caused by agriculture, industry and urban development.

- Introduction of exotic species that can destroy local species (E.g. River crab)
UNIT 6: The diversity of life Biology and Geology (1st ESO)

READING ACTIVITIES
After reading the text, copy and answer the following questions into your notebook:

3.1. Indicate why:

a. Living beings have to adapt.
b. It is dangerous to introduce exotic species in natural habitats.
c. It is important to protect the endangered species.
d. Spain has more biodiversity than other European countries.

3.2. Match each photo with a factor that reduces biodiversity: