Classifying Organisms  Introduction Introduction  Task Task  Process Process  Resources Resources

Introduction Suppose you had only 10 minutes to run into a supermarket to get what you needed. Could you do it? In most supermarkets this would be an easy task. You would probably head straight to the area where the items were located. But what if you had to shop for the same items in a market where things were randomly placed throughout the store. Where would you begin? You would have to search through a lot of things before you found what you needed! You could be there for a long time! Biologists have organized living things with similarities into groups so that the organisms are easier to study. This process is called classification.

Task, continued Why do scientists classify? What are the major levels of classification? How are organisms classified? What is binomial nomenclature? What are the six different kingdoms of organisms that are generally recognized by scientists today?

Process Follow the directions for each section carefully. Answer all questions in your notebook or on a sheet of paper.

Why Do Scientists Classify? Classification is the process of grouping things based on their similarities. Biologists use classification to organize living things into groups so that the organisms are easier to study. The scientific study of how living things are classified is called taxonomy.

Classify Organisms Based on Physical Features How might you classify a sunflower, a robin, a lizard, a blue jay, and a tree? Copy the table on paper and fill in your answers. PlantsAnimals

What characteristics may have been used to group these beetles? Write answers on your paper Classify Organisms Based on Physical Features

Levels of Classification Organisms are grouped by their shared characteristics.

Understanding Classification #123 1 st Street Neighborhood Oklahoma Broken Arrow Imagine a room filled with everybody from the state of Oklahoma. There may be some people from Broken Arrow. There may be some people from your neighborhood. There may be some people that live on your street. You will be the only one that lives in your house. The most general group you belong to is the state. The most specific group you belong to is the house. The more levels you share with others, the more you have in common.

Binomial Nomenclature Linnaeus devised a system of naming organisms. Linnaeus placed organisms in groups based on their observable features. Each organism has a unique, two- part scientific name containing their genus and species. This naming system is called binomial nomenclature. Click on each picture below to see what their scientific names are.

Senario Imagine you are a biologist walking through the woods. You have been walking for hours and are out of food. You come across a fruit, but you don’t know what the fruit is. You need to figure it out before eating it. How would you figure this out?

Taxonomic Keys Taxonomic Keys are tools used by scientist to help determining the identity of an organism. You take what you can observe from the organism and follow the key to determine the identity of the object

What you know about the fruit It grows on its own The skin sticks to the flesh of the fruit It only has one seed. The skin is smooth.

Example of Taxonomic Key 1. Fruits occur singly Go to 3 1' Fruits occur in clusters of two or more Go to 2 2. Fruits are round Grapes 2' Fruits are elongate Bananas 3. Thick skin that separates easily from flesh Oranges 3' Thin skin that adheres to flesh Go to 4 4. More than one seed per fruit Apples 4' One seed per fruit Go to 5 5. Skin covered with velvety hairs Peaches 5' Skin smooth, without hairs Plums It grows on its own The skin sticks to the flesh of the fruit It only has one seed. The skin is smooth.