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3. Biodiversity              eLearn.Punjab

Taxonomic Hierarchy

The groups into which organisms are classified are known as taxonomic categories or taxa (singular
“taxon”). The taxa form a ladder, called taxonomic hierarchy. All organisms are divided into five
kingdoms. So kingdom is the largest taxon. On the basis of similarities, each kingdom is further
divided into smaller taxa in the following way:

•	 Phylum (Division: for plants and fungi): A phylum is a group of related classes.
•	 Class: A class is a group of related orders.
•	 Order: An order is a group of related families.
•	 Family: A family is a group of related genera.
•	 Genus: A genus is a group of related species.
•	 Species: A species consists of similar organisms.

Members of lower taxon resemble one another more than do the members of a higher taxon.
Table 3.1 illustrates the classifications of humans (Homo sapiens) and pea (Pisum sativum).

Taxa             Table 3.1: Simple classification of two organisms  Pea
                                                  Human

Kingdom           Animalia                                               Plantae
                  Chordata                                          Magnoliophyta
Phylum           Mammalia                                           Magnoliopsida
  Class           Primates
  Order          Hominidae                                               Fabales
                                                                       Fabaceae
 Family             Homo
                 H. sapiens                                               Pisum
 Genus                                                                 P. sativum
 Species

Species - The Basic Unit of Classification
Species is the basic unit of classification. “A species is a group of organisms which can interbreed
freely among them and produce fertile offspring, but are reproductively isolated from all other such
groups in nature.” Each species possesses its own distinct structural, ecological and behavioural
characteristics.

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