Question

Describe the modern system of classification

Answer 1

Classification system originated in the 18th century, from the works of a Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus. He classified living beings based on similarities between them. Organisms which could interbreed were put in one species.

Answer 2

The modern system of biological classification is a system that organizes living beings into categories, grouping them according to their common characteristics, as well as their evolutionary kinship relations. Scientific nomenclature is used to facilitate the identification of organisms anywhere in the world. Through this system, biologists seek to learn about biodiversity, describing and naming the different species and organizing them according to the criteria they define.

In the biological classification system, categories are used to group organisms according to their similarities. The basic category is the species, which is defined as similar beings that are able to reproduce naturally and generate fertile descendants. Animals of the same species are brought together in another category, the genus. All who belong to the same gender are grouped into families, which are grouped into orders, which in turn come together in classes, gathered in rows and finally we have the kingdoms. The Kingdoms are therefore the last category in the hierarchy and are subdivided until reaching the species, the most basic category. So, we have:

Kingdom ⇒ Phylum ⇒ Class ⇒ Order ⇒ Family ⇒ Gender ⇒ Species