9/16/22, 6:07 PM TAXONOMY [CSEC BIOLOGY] | The BioSpecialist Notes

25 minutes ago TAXONOMY [CSEC BIOLOGY]

SYLLABUS REFERENCE
[A1.1] group living organisms found in a named habitat based on observed similarities and differences; 
[A1.2] classify organisms into taxonomic groups based on physical similarities; 
[]

Why is Classification so Important to Biology? 

Biology is a science.

Science is systematic knowledge of the physical or material world, gained through observation and
experimentation. 

Systematic: done or acting according to a fixed plan or system; methodical. 

Biology is the scientific study of the living world, which can seem chaotic. Classification is a first step towards creating a
framework and order within which the chaotic living world can be studied. 

One of the first steps of Biology is setting up a system to determine whether something is alive or not. Once something
shows ALL the following characteristics, it is considered a living organism. That, and being made up or one or more
cells. 

https://cxcbiologynotes.blogspot.com/2022/09/taxonomy-csec-biology.html?view=magazine 1/12
9/16/22, 6:07 PM TAXONOMY [CSEC BIOLOGY] | The BioSpecialist Notes

[https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZyN-Zqjb19QE6SUcAYgv--
StEpyRdR8Bo6pFty88nPV8Yd77QuzcVw8kDCnlxTRpxwmwWg87A8KVTTPkVccO6uhgRJ2Y4xmwuOYME49vDeM6dwKhnuGCG
OhR__FT3XoOGAZWAUa8aobroAAMc38hFiWz-IxILheqHVfar48mMizRj29CMWG59ipb7/s591/16.png]

Millions of organisms exist, in a multitude of forms. 

A system is needed to make it easier to study them. One that places organisms into groups, based on shared features.
Such a system also enables scientists to discover - as well as predict - relationships between organisms, according to
their features. 

TAXONOMY is the science of developing such systems. 

Taxonomy: The science of producing a formal system for naming & classifying species. 

THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF CLASSIFICATION IN BIOLOGY 

https://cxcbiologynotes.blogspot.com/2022/09/taxonomy-csec-biology.html?view=magazine 2/12
9/16/22, 6:07 PM TAXONOMY [CSEC BIOLOGY] | The BioSpecialist Notes

[https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbYXbP7jvzMBboTBxsXZlvZCI4fTvx9CGF55q8iMAzZ3ZBZs4oFozj
XRQr-HeJoogN6e6-5DsrEcvcJKtmHMgYAbGx4dNFOiZ0toa5OF-M6vEKv1axjIpAsYtB_iXkYb35ADjCNOjuBlAjQV42T-nqM-
iwuzwBMBIqlUmAyU3ORHJrVfdo4dxQ1qP/s581/17.png]

THE BINOMIAL SYSTEM IS THE BASIS OF MOST CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS 

[https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwa3yfCfbZcwwwXqCWcrTiGCzYEW_LozJxoGFRe6t48HNSMPVo
X5yKxBH-
YOyTfLfgTHT_QJyXq4Cz2LHHdIlsANsSNNEW7E2jxRCniPABTcegUa23Bu0khMqa34DtUN5MWLjKr5uW3fUwt00wkooweW10chyO
cplM3HdTouJYFtNbRNyTghG8QUdm/s582/18.png]

https://cxcbiologynotes.blogspot.com/2022/09/taxonomy-csec-biology.html?view=magazine 3/12
9/16/22, 6:07 PM TAXONOMY [CSEC BIOLOGY] | The BioSpecialist Notes

The following are the mandatory categories in which organisms are placed, with two examples. Each group is called a
TAXON. (Taxa, plural). 

[https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdw_mWlOrGS87qXirhJOh-
tKhuEps7LBHMaXO4B4cvYZZ1fNWP7wXepdRvQgOG2tIRapAU3ulTlJ4OZGy3d7fvQDOhMZ8NW1mlUFCpfWj6kvjNIOfth9xhRSXF
SiFDdrqFhW9Dk1rk1DsOu5ef2Q7aL4qjJQ99chAINjzRklk2nCoo3GAZT_teYHCa/s334/19.png]

HELPFUL MNEMONICS 

https://cxcbiologynotes.blogspot.com/2022/09/taxonomy-csec-biology.html?view=magazine 4/12
9/16/22, 6:07 PM TAXONOMY [CSEC BIOLOGY] | The BioSpecialist Notes

[https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfHinfgQd5LHuRUobpDF0zOsFGZtjaCn8zf2_HtFdEfhLmKbnygYaN
HTiAthspYkd_ZJdd6zO9F80cDeOmrGxcpAqs6d3mLk6uKRfEcUgOhGoP3KY4vtwsC5lyw3XoDHy2msQ4h619HmcVCWtT_JRjg83fp
FnAgJTAE2FZ_eQxb7m6HeCQDK6bZpY/s368/21.png]

THE 5-KINGDOM SYSTEM 

Also known as the Whittaker system, having been proposed by RH Whittaker in 1969. 
It divides organisms first along the prokaryote - eukaryote line. 

https://cxcbiologynotes.blogspot.com/2022/09/taxonomy-csec-biology.html?view=magazine 5/12
9/16/22, 6:07 PM TAXONOMY [CSEC BIOLOGY] | The BioSpecialist Notes

[https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbJmnZ9KRg_Jgw9JSQs0HL4PTpVAe3CRSqQODlLA8S0tPvLnU
K-JWshce1tBoWVf-284Skfe3lZUC-T0a87JjMzg9WUmhPq29yxg1NpA9wrNXMX5qBc-
TsV6e0bfHEFdzABSVUTCXPc3rFHOZEh2KKdn2niHujjbqz9sjEyvNuWRNGa1yRnuMAsX0/s582/27.png]

Other Levels of Note... 

https://cxcbiologynotes.blogspot.com/2022/09/taxonomy-csec-biology.html?view=magazine 6/12
9/16/22, 6:07 PM TAXONOMY [CSEC BIOLOGY] | The BioSpecialist Notes

[https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWtRzTwY8k2ESCjULtVBJfiWlVGLZB3pIBwy2e94W6LbChoxqx1qu
dtLr3mGmxm4fAXt0Vz1myxQ6_ipEGihu6XbqIr5Zm1MKhlp5S_47DowkqMQxf18DazoLlo6no72J1TC9N1q9jkktdgpnPTfb-
ghxDig75UVX_r2sBZUYIhIoM8MlPpA_yPT8i/s316/20.png]
Blue - Phyla (Phylum, singular) 
Green - Classes (Class, singular) 

Note that all the Animal Phyla are invertebrates EXCEPT Chordata.

Here is a description of some of these groups... 

https://cxcbiologynotes.blogspot.com/2022/09/taxonomy-csec-biology.html?view=magazine 7/12
9/16/22, 6:07 PM TAXONOMY [CSEC BIOLOGY] | The BioSpecialist Notes

[https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-e6Mq-f8NYdS2wxw9PfEYYGQHXknQUdqO_7qxFHNiC-
NA2e9dlILiQKEcTA72zHvfzfaDwJOQ2G3aC4VDKvOgBs9G-wxEfATuvhB74Ln6a-
vMnomdhqFE7YhgeqCSRVYz78f6w482Ize7VOWliHvklG3_B88VePXtn8mNBou29TBroUT3tu-TFPof/s610/28.png]

SPECIES - THE UNIT OF CLASSIFICATION 

Species: A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. 

Each species has a scientific name with two parts (binomial): the Genus and species name. 

Example: the dog - Canis lupus; Human beings - Homo sapiens. 

PRACTICE QUESTIONS & ANSWER SCHEMES 

https://cxcbiologynotes.blogspot.com/2022/09/taxonomy-csec-biology.html?view=magazine 8/12
9/16/22, 6:07 PM TAXONOMY [CSEC BIOLOGY] | The BioSpecialist Notes

[https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFlJf9NxuqjLrdAZa6OPHfEMB2pnFYBIkq0W1RUINcDclM7OMq0h
CpUxT6URpzIIIz229ovp8VY2aYnXt8Dpcmaa1AREPtbojN-
RFr71RHqS787_Gpck5P8phFnKHvp4kD9alVM0e0tjAU6pBQAB_PjBvhjtAXdVkCTV0dFh-WKBPhLAHOdj7-Y_U/s624/22.png]

https://cxcbiologynotes.blogspot.com/2022/09/taxonomy-csec-biology.html?view=magazine 9/12
9/16/22, 6:07 PM TAXONOMY [CSEC BIOLOGY] | The BioSpecialist Notes

[https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyne85k9z9QcomvP0Kshe16zxz6JW7mcOpyxDM7KKiokMxjabvlTmf
geu4zu1TdNem9ePk8s6Le3QgUnKiQMXTBM_eHrmjfBRpuc6KXA3WP5Xzl2skrl1TAxlblQ7pBNCPp2G73XxjfrIy1ZhiGniHqHvtuRfb3
VWvoAfzDqiQDGGE0m2BqihGUbGW/s731/Use%20with%20PowerPoint.png]

https://cxcbiologynotes.blogspot.com/2022/09/taxonomy-csec-biology.html?view=magazine 10/12
9/16/22, 6:07 PM TAXONOMY [CSEC BIOLOGY] | The BioSpecialist Notes

[https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil88lPzC7o-ukssLzWvRnYbBUsX6qe9UoNe7yHS-
btwZWHVoNJqxbJYnsLck4EUcZR3vEymmhcDzJIRptvnRmx3LWpe9o_gnDF9uI_Mc4mvjW7t4cNP1chK1Siw2VIg3PaDo-
feolrc7q1Bo8gAZOoXFGCKYt5xWFxad-TW4H5No2EPhrfg_3MTx1i/s603/23.png]

[https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2yE2Wx_RmR-2iLO5vSj-tVyG04F4TrJjftc-
xy4JrI9k6G6omhewrPwpwfkUE_8mr7BiLNQiRP5dvcA1ccsniORhrbGSydklKaWtlsUjnhnJekcyJhXgDx7g63wWi9BHYj-
qzieasnhpWSkipbmBGAKIzuY2yViUqTDSJ55Io_eOXnXBf4VeV7TN/s629/24.png]

https://cxcbiologynotes.blogspot.com/2022/09/taxonomy-csec-biology.html?view=magazine 11/12
9/16/22, 6:07 PM TAXONOMY [CSEC BIOLOGY] | The BioSpecialist Notes

Posted 25 minutes ago by The BioSpecialist

Location: Trinidad and Tobago
Labels: binomial nomenclature, binomial system, Biology, Class, classification, CSEC, Family, Genus, Kingdom, Order,
Phylum, species, taxonomy, Whittaker System

0
Add a comment

Enter comment

https://cxcbiologynotes.blogspot.com/2022/09/taxonomy-csec-biology.html?view=magazine 12/12