Page 128 - Big Ideas Year 9 sciPAD 2025

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128 SCIPAD - BIG IDEAS - BOOK 1
LIFE AND THE TAIAO
Classification of Life
There are millions of types of organisms on Earth. In order to study and communicate information
about these organisms efficiently, scientists sort organisms into groups according to the number of
features they have in common. This process is called classification.
One method of classification involves placing organisms into five simple groups called kingdoms.
The kingdoms are then divided into phyla, then classes, orders, families, genera and species. The
smallest classification contains only one type of organism, a species. A species is defined as a
group of similar organisms capable of breeding with each other and producing fertile offspring.
1. Complete the paragraph below by filling the missing words.
There are m of organisms on Earth. Scientists s these
organisms into various groups based on their f . This is called
c .
The most basic of these groups is called a k . There are f of
these kingdoms - monera, p , fungi, plants and a .
2. Outline the similarities and differences between the following kingdoms.
(a) Monera and Protists are similar in that they 
 .
However, 

(b) Fungi and Plants are similar in that they 
 .
However, 

(c) Plants and Animals are similar in that they 
 .
However, 

3. Complete the order of classification.
Kingdom Species
4. Define the term ‘species’. 


Monera
Single-celled organisms
without a nucleus.
Protist
Single-celled organisms
with a nucleus.
Fungi
Multi-cellular with cell
walls but cannot carry
out photosynthesis.
Plants
Multi-cellular with cell
walls and can carry
out photosynthesis.
Animals
Multi-cellular with no
cell walls.
The Five Kingdoms
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