1. UNIT 2: MICROBIOLOGY 2.1 Taxonomy Objectives:
1. Explain why scientists need a way to classify organisms.
2. List the levels of classification in order from general to specific.
3. Explain what a species is and how species are named.

2. Activity: How clean is your mouth?
Purpose:
To capture and culture microorganisms normally present in your mouth and on your lips.
Materials and Methods:
see pg 97 Nelson Biology 11, College Preparation
* You will observe the growth of bacteria over the next week. You will record information about the colony growth (such as shape, colour, texture and size)

3. Activity (cont’d) Observations:
Prepare an observation table in your notes with the following headings.
Day
Colony Descriptions
# of Colonies growing 1
(you will describe individual colonies here so leave lots of space --- don’t even draw the lines for rows 2-5 yet until you know how much space you need)
(you will record how many of each type of colony are growing) 2

4. Activity (cont’d) You will also draw your petri plate each day
Your drawings must be on blank white paper
½ page per drawing
Include for each drawing: a title which tells the reader EXACTLY what the picture is – swab of who’s lips, how many days in the incubator)

5. 2.1 Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the branch of science that classifies organisms

6. Why Classify? Scientists need a way to “name” organisms
The “common names” of organisms can sometimes be misleading or confusing
To communicate effectively, biologists need a consistent naming protocol
Consider the following....

7. Is this a puma, mountain lion, catamount or a cougar?

8. Sea Lion?
Ant lion?
Lion?

9. Which one of these is NOT a bear?
Koala – Animalia, chordata, Mammalia, Marsupialia...
Panda – Animalia, chordata, Mammalia, Carnivora, Ursidae (family)
Ailuropoda melanoleuca
Phascolarctos cinereus
Ursus americanus
Which one of these is NOT a bear?

10. Jellyfish?
Starfish?
Parrot fish?

11. Ringworm?

12. Levels of Classification (TAXA)
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
(Each group gets smaller,
more specific)

13. King Phil Came Over For Good Soup

14. A Species... is always a GROUP of organisms which are VERY SIMILAR
can MATE (reproduce sexually)
and produce FERTILE OFFSPRING
(“species” is both singular and plural – there is no such thing as a “specie”)

15. Binomial Nomenclature
The naming system used by scientists is called Binomial Nomenclature
The scientific name is written
Genus species

16. Humans Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Mammalia Order Primate
Family
Hominidae
Genus
Homo
Species
sapiens

17. Homo sapiens (underlined) Homo sapiens (italics)
So what is the scientific name of our species?
Homo sapiens (underlined) or
Homo sapiens (italics)
H. sapiens (abbreviated)
Never...
Homo Sapiens, nor...
Homo sapien, nor...
homo sapiens, nor...
Homo sapiens

18. What are the scientific names of each of these organisms?
Lion
Tiger
Pintail Duck
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Aves
Order
Carnivora
Anseriformes
Family
Felidae
Anatidae
Genus
Panthera
Anas
Species
leo
tigris
acouta
What are the scientific names of each of these organisms?

19. Quick Quiz!
1. Kingdom, __________, Class, ___________, Family, ___________, _____________.
2. Which two groups are used for an organism’s scientific name?
3. Which of the following pairs is MOST closely related?
Acer rubrum & Acer saccharum
Acer rubrum & Chenopodium rubrum
4. The system we use for naming is called __________ ________________.
5. The science of classification is called __________.
Acer rubrum – red maple
Chenopodium rubrum – red goosefoot

20. Your Task
Read pp and answer questions #1-7