CLASSIFICATION

 Biological classificationis the scientific way of orderly arranging organisms into group on the basis
of their similarities and differences.
 Taxonomy(taxon : rank or class) is the study of principles and procedures of classification. The
following are the branches of taxonomy:
 Cytotaxonomy: Based on cytological studies like chromosome number and structure etc.
 Chemotaxonomy :Based on chemical constituents like amino acids, proteins, DNA etc.
 Numerical taxonomy: Based on statistical methods.
 Cladistics: Based on phylogeny (origin and evolutionary tree)
 Systematics is the scientific study of kinds and diversity of organisms and all relationships among
them. Systematics includes the following:
 Description – characterizationof a taxon.
 Identification – based on studied characters the organism is identified with any known taxa
or group.
 Nomenclature – science of naming of organism.
 Classification – arrangement of organisms on the basis of similarities and differences.

Systematics Taxonomy
1. It is the study of organisms on the basis of their
It is the study of organisms on the
comparative and evolutionary relationships
basis of their characteristics.
(phylogeny).
2. It includes anatomy, ecology, physiology, It includes morphological features
biochemistry. of organisms.


Three fundamental systems of classification

Artificial Natural Phylogenetic

Classification is based on the Classification is based on the Classification is based on natural,
superficial characteristics of natural relationship between evolutionary and genetic
organisms. organisms. relationship among organisms.
Based on one or two superficial Based on one or more Based on many such characters.
morphological characters morphological and anatomical Also includes evolutionary and
characters. genetic relationships.
Characters chosen are random and Characters chosen are Characters chosen are of
arbitrary for the sake of permanently sexual or vegetative evolutionary significance from
convenience. characters and not arbitrary. primitive to evolved conditions
Do not give any reference to They do not give any idea on It gives enough idea on the origin
origin and evolution of characters origin and evolution but gives an and evolution of different
in organisms. idea on affinities, similarities, characters in organisms.
dissimilarities of characters and
relationships among organisms.
This system of affinities is also
called the phenetic system.
Supporters: Aristotle, Supporters: George Bentham, Supporters: Adolph Engler, Karl
Theophrastus, Linnaeus. Joseph Dalton Hooker. Prantl,Hutchinson, Takhtajan,
Cronquist
  Binomial Nomenclature:
 Proposed by Carolus Linnaeus. Names of two famous books written by him
:‘Systema Naturae’ and ‘Species Plantarum’.
 The rules for binomial nomenclature are:
 All the scientific names of organisms are usually Latin or latinized.
 There exist two parts of a name. The first word identifies the genus (generic
epithet) and the second word identifies the species (specific epithet).
 When the names are handwritten, they are underlined or italicized if typed.
 The name of the genus starts with a capital letter and the name of the species
starts with a small letter.
 Scientific naming is based on principles and criterias provided by the
international codes like ;
ICBN – International Code of Botanical Nomenclature.
ICZN – International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.
ICVN - International Code of Viral Nomenclature.
ICNB - International Code for Nomenclature of Bacteria.
ICNCP - International Code for Nomenclature of Cultivated Plants.

 Taxonomic Hierarchy:
 It is the process of arranging various organisms into successive levels of the biological
classification in a decreasing or an increasing order from kingdom to species and vice versa.
 Each of this level of the hierarchy is called the taxonomic category or rank (taxon).
 In this system of classification, kingdom is always ranked the highest followed by phylum
(division in case of plants), class, order, family, genus, and species.
Example of Human Being is given below:

Taxonomic
Humans House fly Mango Wheat
Hierarchy
Kingdom Animalia Animalia Plantae Plantae
Phylum Chordata Arthropoda Angiospermae Angiospermae
Class Mammalia Insecta Dicotyledonae Monocotyledonae
Order Primates Diptera Sapindales Poales
Family Hominidae Muscidae Anacardiaceae Poaceae
Genus Homo Musca Mangifera Triticum
Species sapiens domestica indica aestivum
  However, there is another higher level of hierarchy proposed recently by Carl Woese called
Domain. Kingdoms fall under Domains.

 Taxonomical Aids:
 Techniques, Procedures and Stored Information that are useful in identification and
classification of organisms are called taxonomical aids.

 Herbarium:
 It is a place where dried and pressed plants specimens are mounted on sheets are kept
systematically according to a widely accepted system of classification.
 Herbarium sheets will provide information about Date and Place of collection, Local names,
Botanical names, Family name and the name of the collector.
 Largest herbarium in the world is at Royal Botanical Garden, Kew, England.
 In India the largest herbarium is at Indian Botanic Garden, Shibpur, Howrah, and it is
called the Central National Herbarium.
 Botanical Gardens :
 Botanical gardens are the specialized gardens have collection of several living plants species
and each plant is labeled with its Botanical name, Scientific name and Family name.
 It is a site of ex-situ conservation.
 Museum :
 Museum is having collection preserved plant species and animal specimens is preserved in
jars having preservative solution formalin and also can be preserved dry specimens.
 Zoological Parks :
 These are parks where wild animals kept in protected environment under human care. All
animal in Zoo is provided with a condition similar to natural habitat. Such Zoological park
become the Centre of taxonomical studies, to study animal behavior and also used for
research and breeding.
 It is a site of ex-situ conservation.
 Key :
 Key is another important taxonomical Aid used for identification of plant and animals based
on similarities and dissimilarities.
 Key based on the contrasting character generally in a pair called couplet.
 Each statement in the key is called a Lead.
 Keys can be of two types: indented and bracketed.