Classification Organisms are grouped together in biology to:

Classification

Organisms are grouped together in biology to:

1. show closely related groups 2. identify organisms

The science of classifying living things is called taxonomy.

Classification, cont’d

Classifications are based upon:1. Appearance and structure2. Development and biochemistry3. Likely common ancestry

Classification, cont’dThere are 7 levels in taxonomy:Kingdom – largest grouping of living thingsPhylum – largest grouping within a kingdomClass – largest grouping within a phylumOrder – largest grouping within a classFamily – largest grouping within an orderGenus – largest grouping within a familySpecies – largest grouping within a genus

Memory AidTo aid in your memory of the 7 levels, use one

of the following sayings:

Keep People Clear Of Fast Great Sharks

King Phillip Came Over For Great Spaghetti

Classification Example

Level Human Killer WhaleKingdom Animal AnimalPhylum Chordata ChordataClass Mammalia MammaliaOrder Primates CetaceaFamily Hominidae DelphinidaeGenus Homo OrcinusSpecies sapiens orca

Classification, cont’d

The more groups 2 living things have in common, the more closely related they are.

Scientific Names

The genus and species name together make up the scientific name of the organism. The scientific name of a human is Homo sapiens.

The genus name is capitalized, but the species name is not. They are to be italicized in type and underlined in handwriting.

The many names of Boletus edulis

France:Cepe

United States:King Bolete

Italy:Porcini

Germany:Steinpilz

England:Penny Bun

Sweden:Stensopp

Poland:Borowik

Finland:Herkkutatti

Spanish:Rodellón

Scientific Names, cont’d

Scientific names are used in biology instead of common names because:

1. Every living thing has a different sci. name2. Scientific names seldom change3. Scientific names are written in the same

language around the world

Activity

How Scientists Classify

Dichotomous KeysDichotomous keys are classification

manuals that are used to help biologists determine the scientific name of an organism.

To use a key, you are given a series of options where you have to make one of two choices about your organism until ultimately you end up with its identification.

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