Year 7 Science: Classification Revised June, 2022

Classification: Vocabulary
Word Meaning

Organism A living thing

Classification The sorting of organisms into groups according to similar structures

Domain (Science) The largest group into which organisms are classified, e.g. Eukarya

Kingdom (Science) The second largest group into which organisms are classified, e.g. Animal Kingdom

Phylum (plural phyla) A sub-group of a kingdom, e.g. vertebrate phylum

Genus The second-lowest sub-group for organisms (like a surname)

Species The lowest sub-group for organisms (like a given name)

Classification key A diagram that is used as a tool for identifying an unknown organism

Dichotomous key A classification key that only has two choices at each level

Vertebrate An animal with a backbone

Invertebrate An animal without a backbone

Endotherm An animal which maintains a constant internal body temperature, independent of

the surrounding environment

Ectotherm An animal which relies on the external environment to regulate its internal body
temperature

Mammal A sub-group of vertebrates that breathes air, is endothermic, has hair/fur and
produces milk for their young
Year 7 Science: Classification Revised June, 2022
Bird A sub-group of vertebrates that breathes air, is endothermic, has feathers and
lays (hard) eggs

Reptile A sub-group of vertebrates that breathes air, is ectothermic, has dry scaly skin and
lays (soft) eggs

Amphibian A sub-group of vertebrates that lives the first stage of their life completely
underwater with gills and the second stage of their life on land with lungs

Fish A sub-group of vertebrates that breathes underwater with gills throughout its life

Photosynthesis The process by which a plant uses the light of the sun to produce its own food