Taxonomic Hierarchy - Definition, Classification, Example, Categories

Edited By Irshad Anwar | Updated on Nov 09, 2024 01:16 PM IST

Taxonomy is a form of classification in the study of living organisms in which they are stricken into a series of ever-decreasing classes. This basic taxonomical structure consists of the ranks such as domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species. Taxonomic Hierarchy is a topic of the chapter The Living World in Biology.

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What is Taxonomic Hierarchy?
Taxonomic Hierarchy categories
Examples of Taxonomic Hierarchy
Importance of Taxonomic Hierarchy
Recommended Video on Taxonomic Hierarchy

Taxonomic Hierarchy - Definition, Classification, Example, Categories

What is Taxonomic Hierarchy?

The concept of taxonomic hierarchy implies a simple and clear classification of the Earth’s organisms for effective scientific discussion and investigations.

Modern principles of taxonomy are primarily associated with Carl Linnaeus who worked in the 18th century and who introduced the principles of binomial nomenclature and the system of classification of organisms into taxons.

Taxonomic Hierarchy categories

The taxonomic hierarchy is discussed below:

Domain

These are the major groupings of living organisms at the broadest level of taxonomic rank where the differences in cells and hereditary material are most marked.
It categorises life into three broad groups: this includes; Archaea (ancient bacteria-like organisms), Bacteria (true bacteria), and Eukarya (organisms with complex cells containing nuclei).
Thus, each domain consists of numerous organisms, most of which possess certain traits that set them apart from the organisms within other domains.

Kingdom

This system organises life into five major groupings based on fundamental features that can include such things as cell structure, feeds on, and how it reproduces.
These kingdoms are Monera-popularly known as prokaryotic organisms, Mostly consisting of single-celled eukaryotes, Fungi which are eukaryotes but decomposers, Plantae which are photosynthetic eukaryotes and lastly, Animalia which are eukaryotic, mainly consisting of organisms that feed on organic matter.
Some examples of the classification include the Plantae kingdom which includes all green plants, and the Animalia kingdom, which includes animals from sponges to humans.

Phylum

A phylum is another rank, or taxonomic category that is located above the class but below the kingdom and is characterised by general body plan and other major structural features of organisms.
Many organisms belonging to the same phylum can be compared in terms of their level of complexity and their evolutionary development may also be similar in many ways and therefore demonstrate several similarities.
For instance, Chordata consists of animals with a notochord, such as mammals, birds, and fish while Arthropoda consists of invertebrates with outside coverings, segmented bodies and/or limbs with joints- for example insects, spiders and crustaceans.

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Class

In systematics, a class is a taxon that is higher than order and lower than phylum. These are for example Mammalia which are materials and Aves which are birds.
Individuals that belong to a certain class are categorized according to their similarities with certain characteristics including the body structure, the manner to reproduce, and genes.

Order

Order is a taxon, next to the family and above the class. Some of them are carnivora which is the biological suborder of animals that have a carnivorous diet and primates which is also a biological suborder and mainly consists of animals which are primarily of nutrients.
Orders are distinguished based on other more concrete similarities and the evolutive characteristics that separate them from other orders of the same class.

Family

A family belongs to a higher rank than the genus and at the same time belongs to a lower rank as compared to the order. It clusters related genera that are similar in nature and genesis of species.
Dogs, wolves, and foxes belong to the family Canidae, while cats, lions and tigers belong to Felidae with the indications being based on morphological and genetic differences unique to each family.

Genus

The genus is a hierarchy level which contains species that are genetically related and share some or many similarities; for example, lions and tigers belong to the genus Panthera.
They help in grouping species into easily manageable sections to help in the study of the relative relationship between the species as well as forecast other characteristics that they could possess.

Species

The most specific classification level is species which are groups of organisms that can breed and produce viable offspring.
In binomial nomenclature, every species has two distinguishing names, which are the genus and specific epithet for instance Homo sapiens for the human species.

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Examples of Taxonomic Hierarchy

A few examples of taxonomic hierarchy are:

Taxonomic Hierarchy	Examples
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Primates
Family	Hominidae
Genus	Homo
Species	sapiens

Importance of Taxonomic Hierarchy

The importance of taxonomic hierarchy is discussed below:-

Understanding Biodiversity and Evolutionary Relationships

The process of classification also allows organising an enormous amount of species and gives a better understanding of the concept of diversity.
It shows the living organisms’ origins and their relatives and depends on whose tree one is looking at, it can also show that living organisms are related from a common source.
They help in discovering the history of the evolution of life on the planet and contribute to understanding the processes governing biodiversity.

Applications in Agriculture, Medicine, Conservation

In agriculture, taxonomy is used for the identification and categorisation of crop pests and other helpful organisms vital for defining strategies of pest control and increasing crop productivity.
In medicine thus, the taxonomy of pathogens and vectors aids the doctor in diagnosing the disease, management and prevention.
In this case, taxonomy establishes the degrees of species threatened by the process of extinction hence general conservation efforts to protect species of this status.

Also Read:

Scientific Names of Animals and Plants	Five Kingdom Classification
Biological Classification Basis	Biological Facts
Nomenclature and Classification of Virus	Kingdom Monera, Protista and Fungi

Recommended Video on Taxonomic Hierarchy

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is Taxonomic Hierarchy and its levels?

The concept of taxonomic hierarchy implies a simple and clear classification of the Earth’s organisms for effective scientific discussion and investigations. The topmost level in the classification of living organisms is the domain. Domains are broad categories that classify all living organisms into three groups: Instead, they are classified under the three domains; Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya. It is based on the classical distinction on the grounds of their architecture and biochemical properties at the cellular level.

2. What is the difference between genus and species?

A genus is one of the category levels according to which organisms are grouped and it combines species that are related in descending order. It is at a higher level than species when it comes to classification. On a different note, a species is a particular kind of organism whose members are capable of reproducing fertile young ones. It is the most precise and elementary level of the taxonomy

3. Why is taxonomy important in biology?

Taxonomy is crucial in biology for several reasons:

Understanding Evolutionary Relationship Palaeontologistssts, come up with the sequence of evolution of the organisms and the phylogenetic tree based on the anatomic similarities.

Classification: That is, it offers a rational approach to classify and arrange the organisms, which in turn aids the study and discussions on the organisms.

Biodiversity: Classification assists in defining the high level of heterogeneity of living organisms to create the requisite databases necessary to protect the environment.

4. Who developed the system of binomial nomenclature?

The classification of the organism by the two-word scientific name was invented and set up by Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist in the 18th century. This system gave each species a twofold scientific name that includes the name of the genus of the species and then the species' identity. g. , Homo sapiens for humans.

5. How does taxonomic hierarchy assist in scientific communication?

The taxonomic system is universally recognised and offers a proven either for organising and naming organisms. This allows the scientists of the world to talk clearly about specific species and groups of organisms without confusion. This systematic approach is necessary to teach Other forms of knowledge Tools for learning and research as well as interaction between various branches of biology and other related sciences.