Question

what is a taxonomic key? explain its role in identification and classification of an organism​

Answer 1

Answer:

Taxonomic Key: is a device used by biologists for identifying unknown organisms. Keys are constructed so that the user is presented with a series of choices about the characteristics of the unknown organisms; by making the correct choice at each step of the key, the user is ultimately led to the identity of a specimen.

Explanation:

Taxonomic keys are written characteristic information that helps a person to identify an unknown species of living organism. The taxonomic key provides a certain structure on the basis of which the user can sort out the taxonomic position of the unknown species.

Taxonomy is the practice of identifying different organisms, classifying them into categories, and naming them. All organisms, both living and extinct, are classified into distinct groups with other similar organisms and given a scientific name.

The classification of organisms has various hierarchical categories. Categories gradually shift from being very broad and including many different organisms to very specific and identifying single species.

There are seven distinct taxonomic categories. These are: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species. (*You can remember it by a way like KEEP POTS CLEAN OR FAMILY GET SICK, where K for Kingdom, P for Phylum, C for Class, O for Order, F for Family, G for Genus and S for Species*)

With each step down in classification, organisms are split into more and more specific groups.

For example, all of the animals in the Kingdom Animalia are split into multiple phyla (plural of phylum). All of the animals in the phylum Chordata are split into multiple classes such as mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.

Answer 2

Hello Dost ☺

Answer :

Key is a taxonomical aid used for identification of plants and animals based on the similarities and dissimilarities.

The keys are based on contrasting characters generally in a pair called couplet. Selection of one character leads to rejection of another character while identifying a particular species or genera or family and so on.

For example presence or absence of hair on body can give a clue if an animal belongs to mammals or not.

Separate taxonomic keys are required for each taxonomic category such as family, genus and species for the purpose of identification.

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