NaturalScienceYear6–Unit5LivingThingsClassification

ClassificationoflivingthingsLivingthingsareclassifiedintofivekingdoms:Monera,Protist,Fungus,PlantandAnimal.Eachgroupsharesspecificcharacteristicswhichdifferentiatethemfromothergroups.MoneraKingdom.Organismsinthiskingdomarealwaysunicellular:theyhavenonucleusororganellesintheircell’scytoplasm.Bacteriabelongtothisgroup.ProtistKingdom.Organismsinthiskingdomaremorecomplex:theyhaveanucleusandorganellesintheircytoplasmandoftenhavemovingpartssotheycanpropelthemselves.FungusKingdom.Organismsinthiskingdomaremoresophisticated.Fungiareoften(butnotalways)multicellularandtheyabsorbnutrientsfromtheirhost.PlantKingdom.Organismsinthiskingdomareallmulticellular.Plantsmaketheirownfoodthroughphotosynthesis.Theycanbedividedintofloweringandnon-floweringplants,dependingonhowtheyreproduce.AnimalKingdom.Organisms in thiskingdomareallmulticellular.Animalsgetenergybyconsumingotherorganisms.Theyaredividedintovertebrateandinvertebrateanimals,dependingontheirbodystructure.

ThePlantandAnimalkingdomsAllorganismsintheAnimalandPlantkingdomsaremulticellularandeukaryotic.Theysharesomeofthecharacteristicsneededforlifebuttheyalsodifferenormously.Plantsareclassifiedaccordingtohowtheyreproduce:floweringandnon-flowering.Animalsareclassifiedaccordingtotheirbodystructure:vertebrateandinvertebrate.

ThePlantkingdom• Allplantsshareanimportantcharacteristic:theyproducetheirownfoodusingenergyfromtheSun.

Thisprocessiscalledphotosynthesis.• Plantsdonotmovefromplacetoplace,buttheydoreacttostimulisuchaslightandwater.• Floweringplantsreproducesexuallyusingseeds.Theyareclassifiedintoangiospermsand

gymnosperms.Angiospermsproduceseedsinfruit,whilegymnospermsproduceseedsincones.• Non-floweringplantsincludefernsandmosses.Theydonoproduceseeds;theyreproduce

asexuallyusingspores.

Angiosperms

Gymnosperms

Ferns

Mosses

NaturalScienceYear6–Unit5LivingThingsClassification

TheAnimalkingdom• Unlikeplants,membersoftheAnimalkingdomcannotproducetheirownfood;theyfeedoffother

livingorganisms.• Mostanimalscanmoveaboutandinteractwiththeirenvironment.• Vertebratesareanimalswithaninternalskeleton.Theyincludefish,birds,amphibians,reptilesand

mammals.Mostvertebrateshaveawell-developednervoussystem,whichmeanstheycandevelopabrainandintelligence.

• Invertebratesareanimalsthatdonothaveaninternalskeleton.Theyincludeinsects,worms,jellyfish,snailsandstarfish.About98percentoftheAnimalkingdomismadeupofinvertebrates.

VertebrateanimalsVertebratesanimalshaveaninternalskeletonformedbybones.Vertebratescanbeoviparousorviviparous,andweclassifythemin5biggroups:mammals,birds,fish,amphibiansandreptiles.Theymoveinmanyways:walking,jumping,crawling,flying,climbingandwhentheyneedto,running...MammalsHair-LungsMilkWarm-bloodedViviparous

BirdsFeathers-LungsLightweight-WingsWarm-bloodedOviparous

ReptilesScales-LungsCold-bloodedWithlegsmostlyOviparous

AmphibiansMoistandsmoothskin-LungsMethamorphosisCold-bloodedOviparous

FishScales-GillsFinsCold-bloodedOviparous

NaturalScienceYear6–Unit5LivingThingsClassification

InvertebrateanimalsInvertebrateshavenobones.Alltheinvertebratesareoviparous,andweclassifythemin6biggroups:sponges/corals,jellyfish,corals,worms,mollusks,echinodermsandarthropods.

Sponges/corals

Jellyfish

Worms

Mollusks

Echinoderms

Arthropods

Sponges/coralsThespongesareaquaticanimals,thataresacshapedandtheirbodyisfullofpores.Itisveryeasytorememberthisgroupbecausemanytimesweusethemintheshowerforourpersonalhygiene.Yes,manyofthespongesweuseintheshowerareinvertebrateanimals.Coralsaretinymarineanimalsthatproducelimestoneresidue,whichgiverisetobeautifulshapes.JellyfishThejellyfishliveintheocean.Theirbodiesaregelatinousandhavetentacles.Thetruthisthatwhentheyappearinthebeachitisveryannoyingbecausetheirtentacleshavesmallvenomousstingersthatproduceveryunpleasantbites.WormsWormsaresoftandlongandmovebydraggingtheirbodyintheground,becausetheyhavenofeet.Theycanbeaquaticorterrestrial.Therearesomewormsthatcanbeharmful.Wemustbecarefulwiththem.MollusksMolluskshaveasoftbody,withoutlegsandcanalsobeaquaticorterrestrial.Some,likethissnail,thisclamandmussels,protecttheirsoftbodywithshells,butthereareothermollusksthatdon’thaveashelltoprotectthemselveslikeslugsoroctopuses.EchinodermsTheechinodermsareexclusivelyaquaticanimals.Theirbodieshavecalcareousplatesthatformashell.Someechinodermsareballoonshapedandarecoveredinspikesthattheyusetodefendthemselves,likeseaurchins.Othersarestarshaped,andareofcoursecalledstarfish.ArthropodsThearthropodsarethemostabundantanimalsontheearth.Ofevery100animalsthatexist,80arearthropods.Theseinvertebrateanimalshavetheirbodycoveredbyanexternalskeletoncalledacuticle.Themostcommonwaytoclassifythearthropodsisbythenumberoflegstheyhave.Thiswaywecanclassifytheminfourbiggroups.Arthropodswith6legs.Inthisgroupinsectslikeantsandfliesarepresent.Arthropodswith8legs,whereforexamplethearachnidslikespidersandscorpionsare.Arthropodswith10legsincludethecrustaceans,likecrabsandlobster.Arthropodswithmorethan10legslikethiscentipedethatasyoucanseehasmuchmorethan100legsarecalledmyriapods.