Classification Vocabulary
Vocabulary word
Book Definition
Classification
The arrangement of organisms into orderly
groups based on their similarities and
presumed evolutionary relationships
Dichotomous Key
An aid to identifying unknown organisms
that consist of several pairs of descriptive
statements; of each pair of organism, and
that statement will lead to another set of
statements, and so on, until the unknown
organism can be identified
The genus and species name of an
organism that scientists use to name a
living thing
Scientific Name
Binomial
Nomenclature
a system for naming plants and animals by
means of two Latin names: the first
indicating the genus and the second the
species to which the organism belongs, as
in Panthera leo (the lion)
Taxonomy
The science of identifying, classifying and
naming living things
Carolus Linnaeus
Swedish botanist and founder of the
modern binomial classification system for
plants and animals.
Common Name
the non-scientific name by which a species
of plant is known- ex. Pine tree
Consumers
a person or thing that needs to consume or
somehow get food into its body in order to
have energy
Eukaryotes
Organisms that have a nucleus
Decomposer
organisms that break down the dead or
decaying organisms
Multicellular
composed of several or many cells.
Prokaryotes
any cellular organism that has no nucleus
Producers
Living things that make their own food
through photosynthesis
Unicellular
One cell
Animal
The classification kingdom containing
complex, multicellular organisms that lack
ell walls, are usually able to move around,
and possess nervous systems that help
them be aware of and react to their
surroundings.
Archaebacteria
A classification kingdom containing
bacteria that thrive in extreme
environments
Eubacteria
A classification kingdom containing mostly
free-living bacteria found in many varied
environments
Protista
A kingdom of eukaryotic single-cell or
simple, multicellular organisms; kingdom
Protista contains all eukaryotes that are
not plant, animals, or fungi
Plant
The kingdom that contains plants-complex,
multicellular organisms that are usually
green and use the sun’s energy to make
sugar by photosynthesis
Fungus
A kingdom of complex organisms that
obtain food by breaking down other
substances in their surroundings and
absorbing the nutrients