Taxonomic Categories
Meaning of Classification
Classification means identifying similarities and differences between different kinds of organisms and then placing similar organisms in one group and different kinds of organisms in different groups.
Taxonomy is defined as the science of classification of organisms into categories, maintaining certain rules.
Taxonomic Categories
While classifying an organism, it is assigned to categories which show its evolutionary relationship with other groups of organisms. Each level or category is termed taxon. The lowermost category of classification or taxon is species. Other categories are arranged above the species so that there is a hierarchy of categories.
Species: Group of individuals of one kind which can interbreed to produce fertile offsprings.
Genus: Group of species resembling each other in several features indicating common ancestry.
Family: Group of genera resembling each other. For example, Felis domestica (the cat) and Panthera tigris (the tiger), both belong to the family Felidae.
Order: Includes families showing similar characteristics.
Class: Includes related orders.
Phylum: Includes related classes.
The various phyla belong to their respective kingdoms. There are five kingdoms. Humans belong to the kingdom Animalae.
Scientific Naming of Organisms
Different plants and animals have different common names. A cat is called ‘billi’ in Hindi, ‘biral’ in Bengali, ‘punai’ in Tamil and ‘manjar’ in Marathi. There are different words for cat in French or German. Thus, there arose the need to give organisms names which could be understood throughout the world. Therefore, scientific names which are understood all over the world were given to organisms.
A simplified system of naming organisms, called binomial nomenclature, has been the standard. The name of every category of organism has two parts, that of the genus followed by that of species. The generic name is written with a capital letter and the specific name with a small letter. For example, Homo sapiens is the scientific name of modern man, Mangifera indica is the boctnical name of mango.