Classification Flashcards
Classification
the division of organisms into groups, or classes, based on specific characteristics
Taxonomy
the science of describing, naming, and classifying organisms.
Kingdom
the highest category in taxonomic classification.
Phylum
A taxonomic rank at the level below Kingdom and above Class in biological classification, especially of animals.
Genus
A genus is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms in biology. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family.
Species
a species is the basic unit of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which two individuals can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction.
Mammalia
Mammals are any vertebrates within the class Mammalia, a clade of endothermic amniotes distinguished from reptiles and birds by the possession of a neocortex, hair, three middle ear bones and mammary glands.
Primate
A primate is a mammal of the order Primates. In taxonomy, primates include two distinct lineages, strepsirrhines and haplorhines.
Hominid
any of the modern or extinct bipedal primates of the family Hominidae, including all species of the genera Homo and Australopithecus.
Class
a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks in descending order of size are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, order, family, genus, and species, with class fitting between phylum and order.
Order
a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms and recognized by the nomenclature codes. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family.
Family
is one of the eight major taxonomic ranks; it is classified between order and genus. A family may be divided into subfamilies, which are intermediate ranks above the rank of genus.
Protista
A kingdom consisting of unicellular or simple multicellular organisms that possess nuclei and cannot be classified as animals, plants, or fungi. Protoctists include the protozoa, algae, Dinomastigota, Oomycota, and slime moulds.
Fungi
any of a large division (Eumycota) of thallophytes, including molds, mildews, mushrooms, rusts, and smuts, that are parasites on living organisms or that feed upon dead organic material: fungi lack chlorophyll, true roots, stems, and leaves, and reproduce by means of spores
Plantae
the taxonomic kingdom comprising all plants.
Bacteria
various species of which are involved in fermentation, putrefaction, infectious diseases, or nitrogen fixation.
Archaebacteria
a group of microorganisms, including the methanogens and certain halophiles and thermoacidophiles, that have RNA sequences, coenzymes, and a cell wall composition that are different from all other organisms: considered to be an ancient form of life that evolved separately from the bacteria and blue-green algae and sometimes classified as a kingdom.
Domain
a field of action, thought, influence,
Dichotomous Key
a key used to identify a plant or animal in which each stage presents descriptions of two distinguishing characters, with a direction to another stage in the key, until the species is identified
Linnaeus
a Swedish botanist who created the current system for classifying plants and animals. An example of Linnaeus is the founder of the taxonomy system.
Chordata
any of a phylum (Chordata) of animals having at some stage of development a notochord, gill slits, and a dorsal tubular nerve cord: the phylum includes the vertebrates, tunicates, and lancelets.
Animalia
The kingdom Animalia, or Metazoa, includes all animals. Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms, which are heterotrophic, meaning they obtain nutrition from organic sources. Most animals obtain nutrition by ingesting other organisms or decomposing organic material.
