scientific classification

Scientific classification is the system biologists use to organize and categorize living things based on shared characteristics. It groups organisms into nested categories called taxa, such as kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species. This hierarchy helps us understand evolutionary relationships and distinguishes one organism from another. For example, humans belong to the genus *Homo* and the species *Homo sapiens*. Scientific classification provides a structured way to identify, study, and communicate about the diversity of life on Earth systematically and accurately.