Biodiversity, Taxonomy and Nomenclature
How scientists identify, name and organise the enormous variety of living organisms.
Biodiversity and the Need for Classification
Millions of species exist on Earth. Classification helps us study this diversity systematically, by grouping organisms based on shared characteristics.
Taxonomy and Systematics
Taxonomy is the science of identifying, naming and classifying organisms. Systematics also considers the evolutionary relationships between them.
Taxonomical Hierarchy
Organisms are classified using a nested hierarchy: Kingdom → Phylum/Division → Class → Order → Family → Genus → Species.
Binomial Nomenclature
Each species is given a unique two-part scientific name (Genus + species), a system introduced by Carl Linnaeus.
Example: Humans are scientifically named Homo sapiens.
Lesson 1 of 26