Why do we classify things?
* Classification
provides scientists and students a way to sort and group organisms for
easier study.
* There are millions of organisms on the earth! (approximately 1.5 million
have been already named)
Organisms
are classified by their:
* physical structure (how they look)
* evolutionary relationships
* embryonic similarities (embryos)
* genetic similarities (DNA)
* biochemical similarities
UNITY AND DIVERSITY
All living things carry out the life functions. There are many different types of organisms.
In one classification system, there are 2 main groups. In others, there
are 3. In the one used by most of the world's scientists, which we will
also use, there are 5 main groups. All living things are placed in one
of the five KINGDOMS...which are the most general group. They
are then broken down into smaller groups, then smaller groups, then
smaller and so on until there is just one... SPECIES is the most
specific group...
K P C O F G S
Can you make a sentence using the first letter of each classification subgroup?
* TAXONOMY--the branch of science that classifies and names living things.
* NOMENCLATURE--a system for naming things
In
biology there is a two-word system that is used to name organisms. It
is called
BINOMIAL NOMENCLATURE (a two named--naming system).
Carolus
Linnaeus devised this in the 1800's using these two subgroups for
the name:
GENUS & SPECIES
(more general) (more specific)
* Humans
are known as Homo sapiens
Classification
