how do scientist classify organism
Classification allows organisms to be identified and categorized on the basis of structure and function of organisms.
Scientist classify organisms by choosing the basic characteristics.
The basic characteristics that account for the broadest divisions among living organisms should be independent of any other characteristics in their effects on the forms and structural functions of the organisms. Within the broadest groups, smaller subgroups are decided by picking up the next set of differentiating characteristics. This process of classification within each group can then continue using new characteristics each time.
Basic criteria such as nature of cell, cellularity and mode of nutrition were used by Whittaker to classify the whole living organisms into five kingdoms.
In addition to the characteristics used by whittaker, the scientists use the characters like external and internal structure of cell, development processes, ecological information, phylogenetic relationships and chemical constituents of organisms to classify living organisms.
Based on these characters, organisms are classified in various categories. The major categories includes: Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species.