classification Flashcards
Classification
action or process of classifying something according to shared qualities or characteristics
Taxonomy
classification of something, especially organisms
Binomial nomenclature
system of nomenclature in which two terms are used to denote a species of living organism
Taxon
taxonomic group of any rank, such as a species, family, or class
Genus
principal taxonomic category that ranks above species and below family
Family
one of the eight major taxonomic ranks
Order
taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms and recognized by the nomenclature codes
Class
life, domain, kingdom, phylum, order, family, genus, and species, with class fitting between phylum and order
Phylum
principal taxonomic category that ranks above class and below kingdom
Division
two methods of organizing and explaining information
Kingdom
highest classification into which living organisms are grouped in Linnean taxonomy
Domain
highest taxonomic rank of organisms in the three-domain system
Phylogeny
branch of biology that deals with phylogenesis
Characters
any observable feature, or trait, of an organism, whether acquired or inherited
Molecular clock
technique that uses the mutation rate of biomolecules to deduce the time in prehistory when two or more life forms diverged
