Classifying Organisms

Vocabulary

Organisms –
Classification
Living things,
- Grouping
animals
Why do scientists
classify?

• There are 2.5 million

organisms on Earth.
• Classification is the way of
grouping things based on
their similarities.
• Scientists use classification
to organize the things they
study into groups.
Why do scientists
classify?

• When scientists classify the things

they study, it is easier to study.
• Things that are in groups are easier
to find and work with.
 Why do scientists classify?
• Many organisms have different names.
• For example, the cougar is also called a mountain
lion or puma.
• So scientists need to give the cougar a scientific
name.
• The cougar has only one scientific name.
• Taxonomy is the science of how organisms are
classified.
Thanks