CLASSIFICATION

What is does the word classify mean?

Classify - to group things according to

similar/different features
(structures) that they share

“Science” of classification is called taxonomy

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Classification: Living things
vs. Nonliving things
Properties of Nonliving Things
(Property- A quality/trait/feature that
describes object)

Not made of cells

Do not carry out life activities
Do not move by themselves
Do not develop and reproduce 2
 Classification: Living things
vs. Nonliving things
Properties of Living Things
Carries out basic life activities
Move, grow, and reproduce
Senses and reacts to their environment

Organism- A living thing that can carry

out all of the basic life activities
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 WHAT’S IN A NAME?
•Scientists have a system for naming all the
living organisms on earth.

•The system was created by a Swedish

scientist named Carolus Linnaeus

•Developed over 200 years ago

•He gave each organism a two-word Latin name

(Binomial Nomenclature)
Bi = two Nomial = name
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 Linneaus’ System of Scientific Names
Each species of a living thing is given a DOUBLE
NAME
EX: Just like your first and last name
First Name (Genus)
Tells which group of similar species the living
thing belongs to
Second Name (Species)
Tells the name of the one particular species in
that genus
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 Linneaus’ System of Scientific Names
Example:
Scientific Name for a dog Canis familiaris
Scientific Name for a Timber Wolf Canis lupus
Scientific Name for a Coyote Canis latrans
•Notice that the word Canis is used in all of these names.
This is the Latin word for DOG.
•It is used as the genus name because these animals are all
dog-like animals
•The second name, species, indicates the particular type
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of
dog
 Linneau’s System of Scientific Names
Binomial Nomenclature - Rules
Example: Canis familiaris
1. First letter of first word (genus) is always
capitalized
2. First letter of second word (species) is not
capitalized
3. Both words are italicized or both words are
underlined
Canis familiaris

DO NOT underline space between words!!! 7

 How Are Living Things Classified?
•There are 7 levels in the
classification system of
organisms
•As one goes from the
Kingdom to the Species
(DOWNWARD)…An
increase in the similarity
between organisms occur
•There are fewer numbers
of different kinds of
organisms 8
How Are Living Things Classified Cont’d?
Kingdom: The highest level
Phylum: A subdivision of a kingdom
Class: Each phylum is divided into classes
Order: Each class is divided into orders
Family: Each order is divided into families
Genus: Each family is divided into genera
Species: Lowest level (represents a single type of
organism)
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How Are Living Things Classified Cont’d?
Homework: Write an original catch phrase for the
categories of classification so that each word in the phrase
begins with the letter of the category in their correct order
from largest to smallest

Example: Kids play cards on fat green stools

Species
Phyllum Order
Kingdom Family
Class
Genus
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 How Are Living Things Classified Cont’d?
Assignment: Write-out, highlight, and then following
questions about how living things are classified.

1. Who was Carolus Linneaus?

2. Define property.
3. Give one example of a property.
4. List the 7 levels of classification starting with
the largest group.
5. What is binomial nomenclature?
6. List the three rules of binomial nomenclature.
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