The Linnaean System

• One of the main systems we actually use, it’s a hierarchical system of groups within groups and constantly updated to make it as natural as possible
• Invented by Swedish scientist who lived in the 18th century - Carl Linnaeus
• The biggest group is Kingdoms, of which there are 5:

  • Animal
  • Plant
  • Fungi
  • Prokaryotes (bacteria and similar microbes)
  • Protoctisits (simple single-celled organisms)
• Within each kingdom, organisms are sorted out into smaller and smaller groups based on their similarities and differences
• *K* ing *P* rawn *C* urry *O* r *F* at *G* reasy *S* ausages

  Kingdom

  Phylum

  Class

  Order

  Family

  Genus

  Species
• Classification of man:


  Kingdom: Animals

  Phylum: Vertebrates

  Class: Mammals

  Order: Primates

  Family: Apes

  Genus: Homo (meaning “man”)

  Species: sapiens (meaning “wise”)
• John Ray - 18th Century English naturalist; first to define species as it is known now, and the first to recognise the difference between monocotyledons and dicotyledons


  Species - A group of organisms with many physical characteristics in common that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring (it is the basic unit of biological classification) - basic definition
• Naming species - the binomial system; species are referred to in latin by both genus and species, although a species may have many common names, scientists can avoid confusion by using the Latin binomial (written either in italics or underlined with Capital for genus but not species)
• Classification systems are constantly changing, due to the increase in our knowledge and understanding of organisms, particularly their genetics
• More recent classification systems use more physiological and biochemical techniques to find more detailed evidence of relationships between organisms