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Scientists have organized living things into groups according to how closely they are related. The smallest groups are called "species" which represent one kind of living thing. The largest groups are called "kingdoms". All
living things on Earth are classified into five Kingdoms:
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Learn about ocean life! 
Exploratour: Life in the Solar System
Exploratour: NASA's exploration for life
Scientists organize "species" (a unique type of organism) into groups of increasing size according to how closely they are related. Very closely related "species" belong to the same "genus". Closely related "genera" are grouped into the same "family", and so on. From smallest to largest, the names of these groups are: Species, Genus, Family, Order, Class, Phylum (or Division), and Kingdom.
Currently, all of life is classified into one of five Kingdoms:
|
Learn about ocean life!
Exploratour: Life in the Solar System
Exploratour: NASA's exploration for life
Carl von Linne (also known as Carolus Linnaeus, 1707-1778), a botanist from Sweden, devised a system of binomial nomenclature to name and identify each species (type of organism) as being unique from every other. "Binomial" refers to the fact that each species' name is in two parts. The first part of the name refers to the "Genus", or group of organisms to which the given organism is very closely related. The second part of the name identifies the "Species". Very closely related "species" are said to belong to the same "genus". Closely related "genera" are grouped in to the same "family", and so on. From smallest to largest, the names of these groups are: Species, Genus, Family, Order, Class, Phylum (or Division), and Kingdom.
Currently, all of life is classified into one of five Kingdoms:
|
Learn about ocean life!
Exploratour: Life in the Solar System
Exploratour: NASA's exploration for life
Last modified January 11, 1999 by the Windows Team
The source of this material is Windows to the Universe, at http://www.windows.ucar.edu/ at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). ©1995-1999, 2000 The Regents of the University of Michigan; ©2000-05 University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. All Rights Reserved. Site policies and disclaimer
