Life on Earth began billions of years ago and has continued ever since. As the environment changed, smaller and simpler organisms appeared first, and as the environment changed, simple organisms developed complex functions and evolved into complex organisms to survive in the changing climate environment. Evolution is the term used to describe this process. In his works and writings, Charles Darwin provided a more comprehensive explanation of the phenomenon of the emergence of life and the evolution of life.
There are a variety of factors that influence how organisms are classified. A significant portion of the work is done on the basis of the following criteria:
- Presence of nucleus.
- Body design ; that implies the composition of cells or the presence of single or multiple cells is known as cellular design.
- Food production.
- The degree to which organisms that carry out photosynthesis are organised in their bodies.
- The organisation of one’s body parts, the development of the body, the development of specialised organs for different functions, the development of organ systems are also some factors.
Classification System
The classification of organisms is accomplished through the use of two methods. Among the classification systems used are those that divide organisms into plants and animals, and those that use a five-kingdom system that provides a more detailed and organised classification of organisms:Two – Kingdom Classification
Carolus Linnaeus devised a two-kingdom classification. Plants and animals were the two categories of organisms that he classified. The following are some of the limitations of the two-kingdom classification:- Organisms are classified as either plants or animals according to this classification system
- Primitive organisms, on the other hand, were neither of these two types of organisms
- Fungi are a distinct class of organisms with a distinct structure, physiology, and mode of reproduction from other organisms
- Lower organisms are not divided into either of the groups according to the classification
- According to this system, the class of decomposers is not clearly defined
Five – Kingdom Classification
Whittaker divided the organisms into five different classes,- Monera
- Protista
- Fungi
- Plantae
- Animalia
Hierarchy of Classification
At different levels of taxonomic classification, Carolus Linnaeus organised the organisms into different taxonomic groups. These taxonomic groups are listed in the following order, in alphabetical order:- Kingdom
- Phylum
- Class
- Order
- Family
- Genus
- Species