B. Classification
In science, sorting living things into groups that are alike and have similar qualities makes them easier to study and to identify newly discovered organisms. The grouping itself is know as the science of classification; the naming of the groups is known as taxonomy. The system originally formulated in the 1700s by Carolus Linnaeus is still in use today, though with many changes and additions. For example, Linnaeus grouped fungi with plants in the same kingdom; today they are separate kingdoms. As the system stands currently, there are two entire kingdoms of bacteria (Archaebacteria and Eubacteria), and the kingdoms of Protista, Fungi, Plants, and Animals. Each species has its own scientific name. It is know by its genus and its species, and is either italicized or underlined. The genus is capitalized, and the species is not. For example, Panthera leo is the scientific name for the lion. The levels of classification for animals from most general to most specific are Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus and Species. These are different for other kingdoms; see the links below for more details on these.
No comments:
Post a Comment