Why use scientific names

and classification?
Slides to review the main ideas

© David Faure, InThinking http://www.thinkib.net/biology

 
 Binomial names & classification
• Scientists agreed to use Scientific names for all organisms.
• Scientific names use the binomial system ( Genus species)
• There is a hierarchy of taxa from domain to species.
• A classification group (naturally) would contain all the species
that have evolved from a common ancestor

Classification
• Helps identify species globally and avoids the confusion which
regional names might cause.
• Helps to find those characteristics shared by all species within a
group so that .
 Binomial nomenclature
Sometimes new evidence causes scientists
to move a species from one classification
group into another.

I grouped plants according to how many

anthers they had. Today this has
completely changed.

Scientists still use my system of binomial

nomenclature, but not my plant grouping.

Every organism is given a name composed

of:
it’s Genus (with a capital letter) and
its species (without a capital letter)

Carl von Linné - (1707–1778), a Swedish botanist, invented the modern system of
binomial nomenclature. Biologists have given him a Latin name = Carolus linnaeus
 Illustration of Binomial names

Scientific classification of the Dog Flea

Binomial name:
Ctenocephalides canis

Domain: Eukaryote
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Siphonaptera
Family: Pulicidae As you go down the table
Genus: Ctenocephalides each taxonomic group
Species: canis contains fewer species.
The hierarchy of taxa
There are three Domains
• Eukaryote
• Eubacteria
• Archaea

Classification group
Mnemonic
(Taxonomic group)
Delightful Domain
Katy Kingdom
Perry Phylum
Can Class
Order Order
Fabulous Family
Green Genus
Smoothies Species
 Taxonomic groups
Phylum
Class

Order

Family
Genus Family

Species
Genus
Genus
Specie Species
Species s
Species