Question

A related group of genera comprises
A. An order
B. A family
C. A class
D. A phylum
E. A division

Answer 1

Taxonomy is the study of naming and classifying groups of biological organisms on the basis of similar characteristics. Organisms sharing similar traits are grouped together in one taxon and each group is given taxonomic rank.

Step by step answer: Linnaeus described a two-kingdom system naming both as Plantae and Animalia. Plantae consisted of all the plant species and Animalia consisted of all the animal species. These were further classified into five kingdoms by Whittaker. There were as follows- Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia. He used the thallus structure, mode of nutrition, and phylogenetic relationships as the basis of classification. Further classification of organisms involved in segregating them on the basis of structural and functional entities. Taxonomic ranks were given so that they can be aggregated to form a group of higher rank, thereby creating a taxonomic hierarchy. The principle ranks used are domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family and genus. A domain is the highest rank of an organism. It classifies organisms on the basis of the number of cells present. Organisms can be single-celled or multicellular. This contains the main three domains: Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya. Kingdom was primarily used even before domains were introduced. It classifies organisms on the basis of their thallus structure, mode of nutrition, body type, etc. Example- Plantae and Animalia. The phylum is the next rank after the kingdom. It is more specific than the kingdom. There are a total of 35 phyla in the kingdom Animalia. Example- Arthropoda, coelenterate. Order is a taxonomic rank that is used in the classification of organisms recognized by the nomenclature codes. Example- Lepidoptera (order of butterflies and moths). A family is a related group of genera that can be divided into one or more sub-families, intermediate ranks, and ranks of the genus. Example- Felidae (Cats). Genus is the part of an organisms’ scientific name. It is the most specific rank for classifying an organism. Example- Homo (Genus for humans).

Note: The genus is further divided into species which encompasses the largest group of organisms that share common characteristics and are capable of interbreeding. There are more than 20 different concepts of species. Example- Homo sapiens (the scientific name for humans where the genus is Homo and species is sapiens).