How to Identify Organisms

Determine if the organism is part of the plant, fungi or animal kingdom. A kingdom is the broadest grouping of organisms. A six-tiered system for classification organisms has developed. That system includes plants, animals, protists, fungi, archaebacteria and eubacteria. Archaebacteria and eubacteria are one-celled organisms.

Distinguish between plants, fungi and protists. The part of the fungi that we see is the "fruit" of the organism, referred to as the "mycelium." Some common fungi are mushrooms, truffles or other fruiting bodies. There are also microscopic fungi which remain unseen to the naked eye. The body of the fungi itself is the fruit. This is not the case with plants. If a plant bears fruit, it is separate from the body of the plant. Protists are the newest kingdom among living things to be added to the system of classification, and consists of slime molds and algae.

Narrow down the type of animal you are identifying. Within the animal kingdom are birds, mammals and fish. This kingdom also includes reptiles and amphibians along with insects, crustaceans and worms. Dr. Dennis O'Neil, professor of Anthropology at Palomar College in San Marcos, California encourages students to look for anatomical features that appear to have the same function as those found on other similar species when attempting to identify organisms. Some general characteristics of different classes of animals are fur or hair, horns and tongue length. Insects have six legs, whereas arachnids such as spiders have eight.

Compare the specific location of the organism you are identifying and the environment in which they are found to further narrow down your search. Once you identify the kingdom that the organism belongs to, you can more easily narrow down your identification to the genus or species. For example, archaebacteria are single-celled organisms found in thermal vents or other places with extreme temperatures.

Identify bacteria and procaryotes using various methods. Professor John Lindquist of the bacteriology department of the University of Wisconsin lists some of these methods as a distinguishing shape, and aerobic or anaerobic growth. The most common bacteria are eubacteria, which are complex single-celled organisms. See the Resources section for reading material which will help you to further identify microorganisms.