Classification of Organisms
. The classification of living organisms has been controversial throughout time, and these schemes are among those in use today. Firstly, Aristotle’s system distinguished only between plants and animals on the basis of movement, feeding mechanism, and growth patterns. This system groups prokaryotes, algae, and fungi with the plants, and moving, feeding protozoa with the animals. Then, the increasing sophistication of laboratory methods and equipment, however, revealed the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, prompting a classification system that reflects them; then most recently, five kingdoms have emerged to take both cellular organization and mode of nutrition into account. Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 bc) grouped life forms as either plant or animal. Microscopic organisms were unknown. Plants - Plants and Fungi Animals - Animals In 1735 Swedish naturalist Carolus Linnaeus formalized the use of two Latin names to identify each organism, a system called binom