Classification of Organisms
The classification of organisms started with
Linnaeus, who broke it into two different categories: plantae and animalia.
Later on the kingdoms were further broken down into five separate kingdoms:
monera, protista, fungi, plantae, and animalia. Then the kingdom monera was
broken into eubacteria and archaebacteria. To further separate and categorize
organisms the kingdoms were placed into three different domains: bacteria,
archaea, and eukarya. Within the bacteria domain is the eubacteria. Within the
archaea domain are the archaebacteria. Within the eukarya domain are the
protista, fungi, plantae, and animalia.
The classification of organisms or taxonomy,
may not seem all that interesting, but for those of us with OCD and like having
things in order, classify organisms can be an interesting adventure. Back in
Linnaeus’s time organisms were being classified with a polynomial system. Long
story short Linnaeus created a shortcut, the binomial system. Names within the
polynomial system were around 12 words long, even more at times. On the other
hand names within the binomial system only involved two words. To further
understand the classification of organisms you have to understand how the
kingdoms are further broken down so that we can get to the binomial
nomenclature.
The six kingdoms are further broken down to
a phylum. The phylum is broken down to a class. Class to the order, order to
the family, family to genus, and finally genus to the species. The binomial
system names are the genus of the species then the species name. Honestly I
love classifying organisms because it’s like keeping things all neat. The
system is still rough around the edges in some of the kingdoms but it’s better
than naming species with 12 different Latin words none of us understand.
Here is the classification of a Bengal tiger.
Do you think that the binomial system is a good way to
identify different organisms?
How would you go about classifying a appaloosa horse or a
black bear?
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