The Living World

Lesson

Part 1: millions of kinds of life, and how biologists bring order to them.

In this lesson you will

Explain why living organisms need to be classified
Distinguish numerical taxonomy, cytotaxonomy and chemotaxonomy by the data each uses
Arrange the taxonomic categories in order and write the classification of man, housefly, mango and wheat

Concept

Why classify living organisms?

Without a system, every biologist would have to start again with each organism.

Table of problems and what classification provides
Problem	What classification gives
Millions of kinds of organisms	Manageable groups to study together
One organism, many local names	A single name understood everywhere
A newly found organism	A quick way to place it among known ones
Need to know how organisms are related	Groups that reflect resemblance and descent
Information must be found again	Facts about a group apply to its members

Concept

Taxonomy and systematics

Taxonomy covers identification, nomenclature and classification. Systematics adds the study of evolutionary relationships. The word comes from the Latin systema, used by Linnaeus in Systema Naturae, published in 1735.

Cookies