Classifying Organisms
Some terms you should know.
Systematics: the science study of biological diversity.
Taxonomy: the theory and practice of classifying orgy
Phylogenetics: the theory and practice of discovering the evolutionary relationships among organisms
Hierarchical Classification: taxonomists created a system for classifying organisms, they are placed into taxa
The order of classification is:
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Taxa: groups of organisms which share characteristics
Binomial Nomenclature: named with two names (genes/species) can use genus by itself, but never species alone. First used by Linneaus, who came up with classification and the first to use binomial nomenclature.
Three pieces of criteria are used to classify organisms, they are:
There are benifits to the hierarchical classification system, they are:
Systematics: the science study of biological diversity.
Taxonomy: the theory and practice of classifying orgy
Phylogenetics: the theory and practice of discovering the evolutionary relationships among organisms
Hierarchical Classification: taxonomists created a system for classifying organisms, they are placed into taxa
The order of classification is:
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Taxa: groups of organisms which share characteristics
Binomial Nomenclature: named with two names (genes/species) can use genus by itself, but never species alone. First used by Linneaus, who came up with classification and the first to use binomial nomenclature.
Three pieces of criteria are used to classify organisms, they are:
- How they get there nutrients
- How they reproduce
- Organisms physical appearance/ characteristics
There are benifits to the hierarchical classification system, they are:
- Helps keep things organized
- There are often no visible similarities between to organisms in the same kingdom
- As you go down it becomes more specific
This video is all about taxonomy and the classifying of organisms. It goes into slightly more detail than is needed for grade 11, but is helpful in understanding the classification of organisms.
The Six Kingdoms of Classification
Click on any of the buttons below to learn more about them.
Viruses
Although viruses are non living things, they are a topic in the Diversity of Living Things unit of grade 11 biology.
For more information about viruses, click on the button below.
For more information about viruses, click on the button below.
Dichotomous Keys
- Breaks down a large set of terms to lead to the smallest classification unit
- Must choose between two defining statements
- Key ends with organisms classified into individual taxon
This video goes through how to use a dichotomous key.
This video teaches you how to make a dichotomous key.
Pylogenetic Trees
Pylogeny: the study of elevolutionary relatedness. It shows how groups of species are decendants of common ancestors.
Clades
A taxonomic groups that includes a single common ancestor and all of its common decendants.