classification

• classification is the grouping of organisms, based on :

  morphology - external physical features

  anatomy - internal physical features

  DNA - found in the nucleus of the cell
• Carl Linneus is the father of classification.
• the study of living organisms is taxonomy. scientists group the organisms into various taxas
• the different taxas;

  kingdom

  phylum

  class

  order

  family

  genus

  species
• there are estimates of about 3 - 100 million species in the world. taxonomists have named about 1.7 million species.
• binomial nomenclature - the naming of organisms using the genus and species name
• taxonomy - the science of naming organisms and classifying them
• taxa - classification groups
• species - a group of organisms that can breed to produce fertile offspring
• 5 kingdoms ;

  prokaryote eg bacteria

  protoctist eg paramecia, amoeba

  fungi eg yeast, mold

  plant

  animal