2: Classifications
After completing this section, you should know:
- how to write the scientific name of animals correctly
- know that animals belong to the Animal kingdom and that this is divided into phyla, classes, orders, families
- know the definition of a species
- know the phylum and class of the more common animals dealt with in this course
Classification is the process used by scientists to make sense of the 1.5 million or so different kinds of living organisms on the planet. It does this by describing, naming and placing them in different groups. As veterinary nurses you are mainly concerned with the Animal Kingdom but don’t forget that animals rely on the Plant Kingdom for food to survive. Also many diseases that animals are affected by are members of the other Kingdoms -- fungi, bacteria and single celled animals.
Thumbnail: Portrait of Linnaeus on a brown background. (Public Domain; Alexander Roslin - Nationalmuseum press photo).