Classifying Living Things

Classifying – grouping things according to similarities

Taxonomy – science of classifying and naming organisms

- The term is derived from the Greek taxis (“arrangement”) and nomos (“law”).

Aristotle

Greek philosopher

Classified organisms into two kingdoms. Plant Animal

Animal Kingdom – divided into 3 groups

Air Land Water

Problem with Aristotle’s system

Frogs

part of life in water

Part of life on land

Needed more logical and finer tuned classification system

Carolus LinnaeusSwedish physician and naturalistCreated system to classify organisms based on similarities in body structures and systemsAlso; size, color, shape and methods of obtaining food

6 Kingdoms of classification of organisms

Kingdom Monera – has been divided into;

Archaebacteria

Eubacteria

Organisms are placed in each kingdom based on characteristics

Presence of nucleus

Single-celled

Many-celled

Ability to make food

Ability to move

Finer classification

King

Phillip

Came

Over

For

Good

Spaghetti

species

Smallest category of classification

Organisms within a species can reproduce and produce fertile offspring

Naming of organisms

All organisms need an exact name

Binomial Nomenclature-2 names

Binomial nomenclature

Organism’s scientific name

Latin nameGenus name: group of different organism that have similar characteristics

always capitalized

Species name: more precise classification organisms belonging to

same species can mate

always lower case

No two organisms have the same name

Canis familiaris

Domesticated dog

Canis lupus

Grey wolf

Canis latrans

Coyote

Latrans – barking dog

Dichotomous key – tool used to identify organisms

Dichotomous means "divided in two parts".

At each step of the process of using the key, the user is given two choices;