Classification of Living Things

Learn how we classify living things using taxonomic rank. There are 8 levels of classification.
How do you create names for organisms that can be used anywhere in the world? This is where taxonomic classification, also called the Linnaean system, comes into play. Change music

Named after its inventor, Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist, zoologist, and physician, the Linnaean classification system has 8 levels of classification. You may also hear this called a taxonomic rank. You will often see the levels displayed like a triangle. This is because the levels at the top are broad and general whereas the levels at the bottom are more specific. As you move down levels of taxonomic classification, the organisms will be more similar to one another.

The 8 levels of Taxonomic Classification are:

Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species