Learninsta presents the core concepts of Biology with high-quality research papers and topical review articles.
Need for Classification
Understanding the classification of organisms can give an insight into other fields and has significant practical value. Classification helps us to know about different taxa, their phylogenetic relationship and exact position.
It helps to train the students of plant sciences with regard to the diversity of organisms and their relationship with other biological branches. It helps us understand the inter-relationship among different groups of organisms.
To understand and study the features, similarities and differences between different living organisms and how they are grouped under different categories. It helps to know the origin and evolution of organisms.
It helps in identification of new organism. Classification helps in knowing the relationship amongst different groups of organisms. The organism of past cannot be studied without a proper system of classification.
It helps to understand how the different organisms have evolved with time. It helps to understand the relationships between different groups of organisms. It forms a base for the study of other biological sciences, like biogeography.
It enables chemists to predict the properties of the elements and their compounds based on their positions in the Periodic Table, and vice versa. It becomes easier to study, understand, compare and contrast the related properties among the elements and their compounds from different groups.
The advantages of classifying organisms are as follows:
- Classification facilitates the identification of organisms
- Helps to establish the relationship among various groups of organisms
- Helps to study the phylogeny and evolutionary history of organisms.
Basis of Classification:
The characteristics based on which the living organisms can be classified.
Characteristic:
A distinguishing quality, trait or feature of an individual seen in all members of the same species.
There are three main types of classification-artifical, natural and phylogenetic:
- Artificial System of Classification.
- Natural System of Classification.
- Phylogenetic System of Classification.
The current taxonomic system now has eight levels in its hierarchy, from lowest to highest, they are: species, genus, family, order, class, phylum, kingdom, domain.
Classification is a process related to categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated and understood. See Classification (general theory).
Grouping of elements into different classes is called periodic classification of elements. This method is requires arranging the elements that are alike and separating the elements that are unlike. It helps us understand how different elements form different compounds.
A disadvantage to classification is that many of the classifications themselves are based on subjective judgments, which may or may not be shared by everyone participating. This would lead to differences in perceived value.
The definition of classifying is categorizing something or someone into a certain group or system based on certain characteristics. An example of classifying is assigning plants or animals into a kingdom and species. An example of classifying is designating some papers as “Secret” or “Confidential.”
Given a population whose members each belong to one of a number of different sets or classes, a classification rule or classifier is a procedure by which the elements of the population set are each predicted to belong to one of the classes.