Classification of Living
Things
Funny… as the actual numbers of species
in each successive taxon get smaller…the
names somehow seem to get larger!
Binomial Nomenclature
• Two part naming system!!!
• Carolus Linnaeus : scientist who came
up with the idea of using
characteristics. He named 1000s of
living things using a taxonomic key!!!
• He gave each one of them their
scientific name. What two levels make
up an organisms scientific name?
• Genus and species
• Scientific names are always written in
latin or greek (makes them hard to say!)
A taxonomic key is another word for
dichotomous key. We use these to
identify a species by looking at
specific characteristics.
Time for a few review
questions!!!

Are You Ready!!!!
8 levels of classification
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What is the most broad level of classification called?
Kingdom
How many kingdoms are there?
There are 6 kingdoms all together
• Can you name the 5 kingdoms?
• Animal, plant, fungi, protist, bacteria,
• Kingdoms are divided into smaller groups by which
taxon?
• Phylum/phyla
• What are phyla divided into?
• Classes
• What are classes divided into?
• Orders
• Can you say all of the divisions in order?
• kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species
• From what two levels does an organism get its scientific
name?
• Genus and species (and always in that order)
• If two organisms share the same
kingdom but separate at the phylum
level…what do you know about the two
organisms?
• They are very different
• The farther down the classification
chart two organisms go together tells
you what about them?
• They share similar characteristics.
More on kingdoms!!!!
•What is the second level of classification called?
•Phylum………..
•How does this level compare to a kingdom?
•This level is a little more specific….. There are
fewer organisms than would be found in a
kingdom
• What is the next level of classification
called?
• Class …………. What can you tell me
about this level?
• It is even more specific.
• What are the next levels of
classification?
• Order, family, genus, species
• What happens as we move from one
level to the next?
• Each is more specific……….