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#Redirect [[Taxonomy (biology)]]
[[eo:Biologia Klasado]] [[fr:Classification scientifique]] [[pl:Klasyfikacja biologiczna]] [[sv:vetenskapligt namn]]
{{short description|The science of identifying, describing, defining and naming groups of biological organisms}}
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'''Scientific classification''' is a means used by biologists to organize each of the organisms on the planet, based primarily on evolutionary similarity as determined by visual observation. This system was devised by [[Carolus Linnaeus]] (1707-1778).
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The system works by placing each organism into a layered hierarchy of groups. Each group at a given layer is composed of a set of groups from the layer directly below. Therefore, in theory, one needs know only the lowest layer (species) of a particular organism in order to uniquely determine the other six layers. In practice, however, many species actually have the same species designation, so when specifiying a species, scientists use the bottom two layers - a system called [[binomial monosyphylis]].
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The standard groupings ([[taxa]]) of [[taxonomy]] from most general to most specific are:
*[[Kingdom (biology)|Kingdom]]
*[[Phylum (biology)|Phylum]] (animals) or Division (plants)
*[[Class (biology)|Class]]
*[[Order (biology)|Order]]
*[[Family (biology)|Family]]
*[[Genus]]
*[[Species]]
Several acronym [[mnemonic]]s have been made for these, for instance '''K'''ing '''P'''hillip '''c'''alled '''o'''ut '''f'''or '''g'''ood '''s'''oup. Sometimes tribes, which lie between families and genera, and [[race]]s, which lie below species, are also used. Intermediate ranks may be created by adding prefixes, for instance:
*Superorder
*Order
*Suborder
*Infraorder
The term ''varieties'' is sometimes used in place of ''subspecies''. In [[horticulture]], it refers to populations modified by [[selective breeding]], for instance the [http://www.corecom.net/~gardener/Roses/PeaceRose.html Peace Rose], a hybrid Tea Rose. At the top of the scale, there has been a move towards the [[three ___domain system]]. The domains originally were replacements for the different kingdoms, but often count as a higher rank.
''Could add a description of the difficulty in classifying microbes: their features are derived from direct visual observation, but include such procedural characteristics as Gram stain type, motility, ability to form spores, etc. However, given an unknown bacterium with a given set of characteristics, it is in general not possible to predict its phylogeny, toxicity, etc. Other methods, using genes, their DNA, and several types of RNA, are under development.''
== Examples Of Biological Classification ==
The fruit fly so familiar in genetics laboratories is ''Drosophila melanogaster''. Its usual classification, as well as that of humans, is as follows
=== [[Drosophila|Fruit Fly]] (''Drosophila'') ===
<table border=0>
<tr><td>'''Kingdom'''</td><td>[[Animal]]ia</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Phylum'''</td><td>[[Arthropod]]a</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Class'''</td><td>[[Insect]]a</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Order'''</td><td>[[Diptera]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Family'''</td><td>[[Drosophilidae]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Genus'''</td><td>''[[Drosophila]]''</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Species'''</td><td>''melanogaster''</td></tr>
</table>
=== [[Human]] (''Homo sapiens'') ===
<table border=0>
<tr><td>'''Kingdom'''</td><td>[[Animal]]ia</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Phylum'''</td><td>[[Chordate|Chordata]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Subphylum'''</td><td>[[Vertebrate|Vertebrata]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Class'''</td><td>[[Mammal]]ia</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Subclass'''</td><td>[[Eutheria]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Order'''</td><td>[[Primate]]s</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Suborder'''</td><td>[[Catarrhini]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Family'''</td><td>[[Hominid]]ae</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Genus'''</td><td>''[[Homo]]''</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Species'''</td><td>''sapiens''</td></tr>
</table>
=== [[Cucumbertree]] (''Magnolia acuminata'') ===
<table border=0>
<tr><td>'''Kingdom'''</td><td>[[Plant]]ae</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Division'''</td><td>[[Magnoliophyta]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Class'''</td><td>[[Magnoliopsida]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Order'''</td><td>[[Magnoliales]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Family'''</td><td>[[Magnoliaceae]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Genus'''</td><td>''[[Magnolia]]''</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Species'''</td><td>''[[Cucumbertree|acuminata]]''</td></tr>
</table>
Note in this last example, that most of the taxa are named after the type genus, Magnolia.
== Group Suffixes ==
[[Taxa]] above the genus level are often given names derived from the type genus. The suffixes used to form these names depend on the kingdom, and sometimes the phylum and class, as follows:
<table border align=center>
<tr><th>[[Taxon]]</th><th>[[Plant]]s</th><th>[[Alga]]e</th><th>[[Fungi]]</th><th>[[Animal]]s</th></tr>
<tr><th>Division/Phylum</th><td>-phyta</td><td>-phyta</td><td>-mycota</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><th>Subdivision/Subphylum</th><td>-phytina</td><td>-phytina</td><td>-mycotina</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><th>Class</th><td>-opsida</td><td>-phyceae</td><td>-mycetes</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><th>Subclass</th><td>-idae</td><td>-phycidae</td><td>-mycetidae</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><th>Order</th><td>-ales</td><td>-ales</td><td>-ales</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><th>Suborder</th><td>-ineae</td><td>-ineae</td><td>-ineae</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><th>Superfamily</th><td>-acea</td><td>-acea</td><td>-acea</td><td>-oidea</td></tr>
<tr><th>Family</th><td>-aceae</td><td>-aceae</td><td>-aceae</td><td>-idae</td></tr>
<tr><th>Subfamily</th><td>-oideae</td><td>-oideae</td><td>-oideae</td><td>-inae</td></tr>
<tr><th>Tribe</th><td>-eae</td><td>-eae</td><td>-eae</td><td>-ini</td></tr>
<tr><th>Subtribe</th><td>-inae</td><td>-inae</td><td>-inae</td><td>-ina</td></tr>
</table>
See also:<br>
* [[Binomial nomenclature]]
* [[Linnaean taxonomy|Taxonomy]]
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