Classification of Biodiversity

binomial nomenclature

system of naming plants and animals in which each species is given a name consisting the genus and species

classification

organizing organisms

holotype

a single type specimen upon which the description and name of a new species is based

taxa

any unit used in the science of biological classification

extremophile

an organism that lives in extremely hot or extremely cold environments

archaea

single celled prokaryotes - live in extreme conditions and are more seen as living fossils

eukarya

eukaryotes

eubacteria

“true” bacteria

natural classification

grouping organisms based on similarities first and then identifying shared characteristics

observable characteristics

characteristics that we describe using our 5 senses

dna sequence

determining the exact sequence of nucleotides/bases in a DNA molecule

reclassification

reorganizing organisms into different categories

dichotomous key

used to identify different organisms, based the organism's observable traits