BIOLOGY FORM 1 NOTES

F1 CLASSIFICATION I
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What You’ll Achieve with These Notes;

By the end of these Form 1 Biology notes, you will:
 Grasp the core principles of Biology and why they matter.
 Classify living organisms based on their unique traits.
 Understand the structure of cells and how they function.
 Explore how plants and animals obtain nutrients to sustain life.

This guide will lay the foundation for your future success in Biology!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 2: CLASSIFICATION I .......................................... 2

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CHAPTER 2: CLASSIFICATION I
INTRODUCTION
Living things are also known as living organisms.
Organisms (forms of life) have distinguishing characteristics and
therefore are grouped.

The Magnifying lens

-Is used for enlarging small objects.
(Diagram)

Procedure of its use

 Place the object on the bench.
 Move the hand lens from the object to the eye.
 An enlarged image is seen.
Drawing magnification = Length of the drawing/ drawing Length
Length of the object/Actual Length

EXTERNAL FEATURES OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS

External features of plants
i) Rhizoids as in moss plant.
ii) Fronds in ferns.
iii) Roots, stems, leave, flowers, seeds, fruits, and cones in higher
plants.

External features of animals

1. Tentacles in hydra
2. Feathers in birds
3. Shells in snails
4. Wings in birds
5. Fur and hair in mammals
6. Scales and fins in fish
7. Proglotids in tapeworms
8. Mammary glands in mammals
9. Locomotory Structures e.g. limbs in insects
10. Body pigmentation

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Practical activity 1
To collect and observe animal specimens
To collect and observe plant specimens

What is classification?
-Is an area of biology that deals with the grouping of living organisms
according to their structure. Organisms with similar structures are
put under one group referred to as a taxon—taxa (plural).
The groupings also consider evolutionary relationships (phylogeny)—
since all living organisms had a common origin at one time.
Taxonomy—Science of classification.
Taxonomist—Biologist who studies taxonomy.

Need for classification.

Reasons
1. To identify living organisms into their correct groups for reference
and study
2. To bring together living organisms with similar characteristics
but separate those with different features.
3. To arrange information of living organisms in an orderly manner.
This avoids chaos and confusion.
4. To understand the evolutionary relationship between different
organisms

Taxonomic Units
Are groups (taxa) into which organisms are placed as a matter of
convenience.
Groups are based on observable characteristics common in the group.
In a classification scheme (taxonomic units or groups, a hierarchy of
groups are recognized starting with the first largest and highest group;
the Kingdom to the smallest and lowest unit; the species.

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There are 7 major taxonomic units.

KINGDOM
PHYLUM/ DIVISION
CLASS
ORDER
FAMILY
GENUS
SPECIES

The Kingdom
There are five Kingdoms of living organisms, namely:
1. Kingdom Monera: bacteria
2. Kingdom protoctista: algae, protozoa, amoeba, paramecium
3. Kingdom Fungi: Moulds, Yeast, Mushrooms
4. Kingdom Plantae: Moss plants, ferns, maize, garden pea, pine,
meru oak, bean etc.
5. Kingdom Animalia: hydra, tapeworms, bees, human beings etc.

 A kingdom is divided into Phyla in animals or divisions in plants

and sorts out organisms based on body plan and form.
 Plan is the adaptation to a special way of life.
 The Class is further divided into small groups; Orders using
structural features.
 Orders are divided into families using structural features, then
Families into Genera (singular genus) –based on recent common
ancestral features that are less adaptive.
 Genus is divided into species i.e. kind of plant, or animal.
 Down the hierarchy, the number of organisms in each group
decreases but their similarities increases.
 The Species group members naturally interbreed to produce fertile
off springs.
 Minor differences are exhibited in the species groups e.g. on colour
of the skin in human beings and varieties of plants.

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 The groups of the species are termed to as varieties, races or

strains.

Classification of A human being and a maize plant

Taxonomic Human being maize bean
unit
kingdom Animalia plantae plantae
Phylum or Chordata Angiospermaphyta Angiospermae
division
class Mammalia monocotyledonae Dicotyledonae
order Primates Graminales Rosales
family Hominidae Graminaceae Leguminosae
genus homo zea Phaseolus
species sapiens mays Vulgaris

Scientific name Homo sapiens Zea mays

phaseolus vulgaris

Scientific Naming Of Living Organisms

Present naming was developed by carolus Linnaeus 18th c, where
organisms were given 2 names in Latin language.
Living organisms have their scientific names and common names i.e.
local or vernacular names.
Scientific naming uses the double naming system—Binomial system.
In binomial system, an organism is given both the genus and species
name.
Binomial nomenclature (Double –naming system)-Is the assigning of
scientific names to living organisms governed by a definite set of rules
recognized internationally.
Principles of binomial nomenclature
a) The first, genus name, should begin with a capital letter and the
second name, species, should begin or written in small letters
e.g.
Lion---- Panthera leo
Leopard----- Panthera pardus
Domestic dog----- Canis farmiliaris

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Human being--- Homo sapiens

Maize plant---Zea mays
Lion and Leopard are closely related ---Same genus but distantly
related—different species.
b) The scientific names must be printed in italics in textbooks and
where hand written to be underlined e.g. Panthera leo.
c) The specific name (species) is frequently written with the name of
the scientist who first adequately described and named the
organism e.g.Phaseolus vulgaris i.e. Vulgaris is the scientist who
described and named the bean plant.
d) Biologists should give a Latinized name for a newly described
animal or plant species where Latin name is missing e.g.
Meladogyne kikuyuensis – Is a scientific name of a nematode
from kikuyu.
Aloe kilifiensis --- A member of Aloeceae family from Kilifi
discovery.
Garinsoga parviflora waweruensis --- a member of Macdonald eye
family discovered by Waweru.

Study Question 1
Complete the table below
Taxon Lion Domestic Garden Napier
dog pea grass
kingdom
Phylum/division
class
order
family
genus
species
Scientific name --------------------- ------------------------ --
--------------------- ------------------------

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CLASSIFICATION 1
 Review of the magnification lens
 Calculating Magnification
 External characteristics of plants and animals

Diversity of Living Organisms

 Organisms with similar characteristics are placed under one
group called taxon (taxa).
 The science of classification is known as taxonomy.
 Biologists who study taxonomy are called taxonomists.

Need For Classification

1. Help in identifying living organisms into their correct groups for
reference.
2. It brings together organisms with similar characteristics and
separates those with different features.
3. Help to organize information about living organisms in an orderly
manner avoiding any confusion.
4. Help to understand the evolutionary relationship between
different living organisms.

Historical Background of Classification

 Long time ago classification was artificial where living things were
classified as either plants or animals.
 Plants were classified as herbs, shrubs and trees.
 Animals were further divided into carnivores, herbivores and
omnivores.
 Today modern classification uses evolutionary relationships
between living organisms.

Taxonomic Units of Classification

 This refers to the groups into which living organisms are placed
in classification.
 These units start from the first largest and highest group
(kingdom) to the smallest and lowest unit (species).
 There are seven taxonomic units as shown below.

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Kindom

Phylum(division)

Class

Order

Family

Genus

Species

1. Kingdom
Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778) initially introduced the two kingdom
system of classification. However many new life forms have been
discovered which are neither animals nor plants. This has led to a
more accepted classification system that adopts five kingdoms. These
are;

i.) Monera .eg bacteria

ii.) Protoctista e.g algae and protozoa
iii.) Fungi e.g. mushrooms, moulds and yeast.
iv.) Plantae e.g. maize, ferns and all types of trees.
v.) Animalia e.g. man, cow tapeworm, flies etc.

Kingdom is further divided into several phyla in animals or divisions in

plants.

2. Phylum (phyla) or Division in plants.

It is the second largest and further divided into classes.

3. Class
Each class is divided into several orders.

4. Order
Orders are divided into smaller groups called families.

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5. Family
Family is divided into several Genera.

6. Genus
Here members are closely related. It is further divided into the species.

7. Species
This is the smallest unit of classification.
Species is defined as a group of organisms whose members naturally
interbreed to produce fertile offspring’s.
Members of a given species have small differences such as skin colour,
height etc.

Classification of Man and Maize plant. ( Table 2.1 Page 15 KLB

Bk 1)

Scientific Naming of Living Organisms.

 Today organisms are given two names in Latin language. This
was developed by Carolus Linnaeus.
 Latin language was used because it was widely spoken during his
time.
 In scientific naming, an organism is given the genus and the
species name.
 This double naming system is known as Binomial system (two
name System)

Binomial Nomenclature.
This is the double naming system of organisms where organisms are
assigned two names i.e. the generic name and the specific name.

In binomial nomenclature the following rules are observed.

i.) Generic name is written first followed by the specific name. First
letter in the generic name is in capital and the rest are in small
letters. Specific name is written in small letters.

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ii.) The two names are underlined separately when handwritten or

italicised when printed.
iii.) Newly discovered species must be given Latinized names.
iv.) Specific name is frequently written with the name of the scientist
who first adequately described and named the organism.

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