SCIENCE 8

QUARTER 4- Biodiversity (Concept of Species and System of Classification)

Biodiversity- is the natural world around us, and the variety of all of the different kinds of organisms -
the plants, animals, insects and microorganisms that live on our planet. Biodiversity classification
typically focuses on three levels: genetic diversity (variation within species), species diversity
(variety of species), and ecosystem diversity (variety of ecosystems)
 Genetic diversity- It refers to the variations among the genetic resources of the organisms.
Every individual of a particular species differs from each other in their genetic constitution. That
is why every human looks different from each other. Similarly, there are different varieties in the
same species of rice, wheat, maize, barley, etc.
 Species diversity refers to the variety of different types of species found in a particular area. It
is the biodiversity at the most basic level. It includes all the species ranging from plants to
different microorganisms.
No two individuals of the same species are exactly similar. For example, humans show a lot
of diversity among themselves.
 Ecological diversity -An ecosystem is a collection of living and non-living organisms and their
interaction with each other. Ecological biodiversity refers to the variations in the plant and
animal species living together and connected by food chains and food webs.
Taxonomy, in a broad sense the science of classification. The term is derived from the
Greek taxis (“arrangement”) and nomos (“law”).
Carolus Linnaeus- Swedish naturalist, created the Linnaean system of binomial nomenclature -the
system of scientifically naming organisms.
The concept of species is fundamental in the field of biology, serving as the lowest taxonomic rank
and the basic unit of biological classification. The word “species” has its origins in the Late Middle
English period, derived from the Latin word “specere,” meaning “to look,” “kind,” “appearance,” or
“form.” It reflects the idea of categorizing organisms based on their shared characteristics.
Species concepts
 Biological species concept- formulated by zoologist Ernst Mayr in the 20th century, is widely
regarded as one of the most accepted and influential species concepts in biology. According
to this concept, a species is defined as a group of natural populations that have the potential
to interbreed and produce fertile offspring, while being reproductively isolated from other such
groups.
 Morphological species concept (MSC)-are considered as the smallest groups that are
consistently distinct and distinguishable from one another based on average morphological
characteristics.
 Ecological species concept (ESC)- focuses on the ecological competition and niche
specialization of organisms. According to this concept, a species is defined as a lineage or a
closely related set of lineages that occupies an adaptive zone that is minimally different from any
other lineage within its range.
 Evolutionary species concept-focuses on the lineage and historical continuity of organisms. It
was developed by Simpson in 1951 to address the limitations of the biological species concept,
which could not be applied to asexual organisms and extinct species.
 Cohesion species concept- defined as an evolutionary lineage that acts as the arena for
fundamental microevolutionary forces such as gene flow (where applicable), genetic drift, and
natural selection.
 Phenetic species concept- According to this concept, a species is identified as a group of
organisms that share similarities in their physical appearance and are distinct from other groups.
organisms.
 Phylogenetic species concept (PSC)- defines species as groups of organisms that share a
common ancestor. In essence, species are identified based on their resemblance to each other and
their placement within distinct monophyletic clusters.
 Pluralistic species concept-recognizes the need for a broader and more comprehensive
understanding of species.

Classification system is a system for classifying

things, particularly, the collection of procedures,
characteristics, and definitions used to classify
and/or identify things.
The levels of biological classification are as
follows:
Species » Genus » Family » Order » Class »
Phylum » Kingdom » Domain (from least- to
most-inclusive).
Domain-highest level of taxonomic classification in
the organism classification system.
The domain can be broken down into three types:
 Archaea (archaebacteria) are prokaryotic cells. Unlike the Bacteria and the Eukarya, the Archaea
have membranes composed of branched hydrocarbon chains (many also containing rings within the
hydrocarbon chains) attached to glycerol by ether linkages.
Bacteria (also known as eubacteria or "true bacteria") are prokaryotic cells that are common in
human daily life, encounter many more times than the archaebacteria.
Eukarya (eukaryotes) have eukaryotic cells. Like the Bacteria, they have membranes composed of
unbranched fatty acid chains attached to glycerol by ester linkages.
Kingdom- second-highest ranking in the taxonomic groupings of organisms.
There are five kingdoms, though some recent studies have claimed six and
seven kingdoms. Kingdom Monera- Bacteria are categorized underneath this
Kingdom. Coccus, Bacillus, Vibrium, Spirillum. Kingdom Protista- They are
unicellular and eukaryotic organisms. Kingdom Fungi- include moulds,
mushroom, yeast etc. Most of the fungi are saprophytes and are heterotrophic.
Kingdom Plantae- is broadly composed of four evolutionarily related groups:
bryophytes (mosses), (seedless vascular plants), gymnosperms (cone bearing
seed plants), and angiosperms (flowering seed plants). Kingdom Animalia-
constitutes all animals. Amongst the five kingdoms, the largest kingdom is the
animal kingdom.

Phylum- (plural, phyla) This taxonomic rank, sometimes termed as “division”

lies after the kingdom and further classifies based on phenetic and phylogenetic, for example,
members of the Phylum Arthropoda have external skeletons, segmented bodies, and jointed
legs(Insects, crabs, and arachnids). A muscular foot and a soft unsegmented body that may or may not
be covered with a shell are hallmarks of the Phylum Mollusca (mollusks include mussels, snails, and
clams). Animals of the Phylum Chordata have an internal skeleton and a backbone or notochord (a
primitive backbone). Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals (including humans) are in this
group. Other types of Phyla- Porifera, Cnidaria, Nematoda, Annelida, Platyhelminthes,
Echinodermata.

Class- is a broad grouping of organisms that share characteristics. Sometimes, if classes are very
large, they may be divided into subclasses. Mammalia: Includes all mammals, characterized by having
mammary glands, warm-bloodedness, and fur or hair.
Aves: Includes all birds, characterized by feathers, beaks, and laying eggs. Actinopterygii: Includes
ray-finned fishes.
Reptilia: Includes reptiles, such as snakes and lizards. Amphibia: Includes amphibians, such as frogs
and salamanders.
Insecta: Includes insects, such as ants and bees. Magnoliopsida: Includes flowering plants with two
cotyledons.
Monocotyledoneae: Includes flowering plants with one cotyledon. Bryopsida: Includes mosses.

Order-An order consists of multiple families that share many characteristics and evolutionary
traits. Carnivora: includes families like Canidae (dogs, wolves, foxes), Felidae (cats, lions, tigers), and
Ursidae (bears). Primates: This order includes families like Hominidae (humans) and Pongidae (apes).
Rodentia: This order includes families like Muridae (rats and mice)
Pinales: This order includes the pine tree genus.

Family- The family level sits between the order (a broader group) and the genus (a more specific
group).
Order Carnivora: This order includes meat-eating mammals like cats, dogs, and bears.
Family Canidae: This family includes dogs, wolves, foxes, and coyotes.
Family Felidae: This family includes cats, lions, tigers, and leopards.
Family Ursidae: This family includes bears.
Order Primates: This order includes monkeys, apes, and humans.
Family Hominidae: This family includes humans and their extinct relatives.
Order Rodentia: This order includes rodents like rats, mice, and squirrels.
Family Muridae: This family includes rats and mice.

Genus- A genus is a group of species that share common characteristics and are believed to have a
recent common ancestor.
Species- is the final ranking for the biological classification of living things. A species is defined as a
group of organisms with similar characteristics that are able to procreate or interbreed with one
another.
Binomial Nomenclature:
The scientific name of an organism (species) consists of two parts: the genus name (capitalized) and
the specific epithet (species name, lowercase). For example, Panthera leo is the binomial name for the
lion. Leo is the specific epithet, and the first component, Panthera, is the name of the genus. Scientific
names always written in italics.
Cats: Family: Felidae (all cats)
Genera: Felis (small cats like housecats) Panthera (large cats like lions, tigers, leopards)
Species: Felis catus (domestic cat) Panthera leo (lion) Panthera tigris (tiger)
Dogs: Family: Canidae (all dogs)
Genus: Canis
Species: Canis lupus (wolf) Canis familiaris (domestic dog)
Humans: Family: Hominidae
Genus: Homo
Species: Homo sapiens (modern humans)

SCIENCE 8
QUARTER 4
SUMMATIVE TEST
Biodiversity (Concept of Species and System of Classification)

Name ________________________________ Score_________

Grade & Section _____________ Date:_________
DIRECTIONS: Write the letter on the space provided before the number. No erasures.
_____1. In the Linnaean system of naming, a single species is identified by a binomial, which
consists of the following two parts :
A. Phylum and Class B. Class and Order C. Family and Genus D. Genus and
Species
_____2. The scientific name of the cat is Felis domestica. What is the genus to which this cat
belongs?
A. Cat B. Domestica C. Felis D. Felis
domestica
_____3. Which of the following sequences shows the correct hierarchy of classification, from
the most inclusive to the least inclusive?
A. Kingdom, Domain, Phylum, Order, Class, Family, Genus, Species
B. Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
C. Genus, Species, Kingdom, Phylum, Order, Class, Family, Domain
D. Domain, Phylum, Kingdom, Genus, Species, Family, Order, Class
_____4. The system of binomial nomenclature was developed by ________.
A. Antoine Leeuwenhook B. Aristotle C. Carolus Linnaeus D. Charles Darwin
_____5. What is the scientific name for humans?
A. Homo sapiens B. Archaic humans C. Hominis D. Hominidae
_____6. Which branch of the life sciences is primarily concerned with the naming of species?
A. Biology B. Phycology C. Taxonomy D. Zoology
_____7. On what basis did Linnaeus group species in his classifications?
A. their taxonomy C. their phylogenetic relationship
B. their geographic origin D. their similarities and differences
_____8. Contains organisms that can breed to produce fertile offspring.
A. Binomial Nomenclature B. Reproduction C. Species D. Taxonomy
_____9. A group of interbreeding populations.
A. Genetic Species Concept C. Evolutionary Species Concepts
B. Biological Species Concept D. Morphological Species Concept
_____10. In the levels of classification, what comes after Class?
A. Genus B. Family C. Order D. Phylum

Activity 1
What’s in a name?
Directions: Let’s apply now what you have learned. You can use books or online database references for additional
information in completing the following table (highest to lowest level).
 Category Cat Dog Bangus Wolf Lion
Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Carnivora
Family Felidae
Genus Felis
Species catus

1. Which organisms in are similar up to the Order category? ______________________________________________

2. Which organisms are most closely related? __________________________________________________________
3. Can a dog and a wolf produce fertile offspring? Explain your answer. _____________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________