Keys B6

Question 1

What is a key?

Answer 1

Keys are a method of identification whereby groups of organisms are divided into smaller and smaller groups, based on their shared features. With enough divisions, it’s possible to identify a type of organism based on its features.

Question 2

What are dichotomous keys?

Answer 2

Most keys, are what we call ‘dichotomous keys’. All this means is that we only split each group into two groups each time. The majority of keys are dichotomous, but not all keys are.

Question 3

Why are keys important?

Answer 3

Keys are useful for sampling as they help you correctly identify the organisms that you find.