Every organism can be classified at 7 different levels - kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species. Each level contains organisms with similar characteristics. The kingdom is the largest group and very broad. Each successive group contains fewer organisms, but the organisms are more similar. The species is the smallest group and is very narrow. Organisms within a species are able to mate and produce fertile offspring. The following is the order in which they follow:
Kingdom: Can be explained as all living things on earth.
Phylum: a phylum can be defined in two ways: as a group of organisms with a certain degree of morphological or developmental similarity, or a group of organisms with a certain degree of evolutionary relatedness. Attempting to define a level of the Linnean hierarchy without referring to relatedness is an unsatisfactory approach, but the phenetic definition is more useful when addressing questions of a morphological nature.
Class: This level divides each phylum into closely related groups. In the phylum vertebrata the animals are divided into Mammalia which feed their young on milk, aves which have feathers.
Order: This level divides each class into groups of more closely related organisms. For example animals eating meat are in order carnivore while those with more developed brain are in order primate, those are the humans.
Family: This level divides each order into groups of organisms which share similar behaviour and general habits.-in the order carnivore cats are in family felidae since they have sharp claws. And humans are in the family hominidae – this is a family for animals with upright posture.
Genus: This level divides each family into groups of organisms which are extremely related but cannot interbreed to form an off spring. For example lions and leopards are related but cannot form an offspring, they cannot inter breed successfully.
Species: This is the most specific unit of classification. All members of a genus are divided into species. Organsms of the same species can inter breed to form an off spring. E.g. humans can interbreed to form a baby. Lions can inter breed to form a viable offspring.
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