Homework Help: Science: Biology: Finding Order in Diversity

The purpose of placing different species in order is to organize all of the different species we have today. Different species are organized by a classification system. A classification system, by definition, is a system that identifies objects and places them into groups. These groups usually contain members that are similar to each other.

Everyone uses a classification system everyday. For example, when you go to school you can easily classify the teachers in one group and students in another.

Taxonomy, by definition, is the science of naming organisms and assigning them to groups. Scientists all over the world must often agree with a name they will give a species.

The classification systems have universal rules as well. All names must have two parts; the first one being the genus, and the second part being the specific name for the species. A genus, by the way, refers to a small group of organisms that are similar to one another. Last, you must pay attention to the style you write the names in. All names must be in italics, and the first word of the name must start with a capital letter.

For example, you would really write the scientific name of a cat, felis domesticus, like this:

Or in a sentence:

Classification groups go from most specific to most general. They are, from smallest to largest:

1. Species
2. Genus
3. Family
4. Order
5. Class
6. Phylum
7. Kingdom

The six different kingdoms are:

1. Archaebacteria
2. Eubacteria
3. Protista
4. Fungi
5. Plantae
6. Animalia

Homework Help: Science: Biology

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