The Linnaean System - Nature's Filing Cabinet
Back in the 1700s, a Swedish scientist named Carl Linnaeus revolutionised how we classify living things. He created the binomial nomenclature system - basically giving every organism a two-part scientific name that works worldwide.
The classification system works like Russian dolls, with each level getting more specific. Starting from the biggest group (Domain), we work down through Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, and Genus until we reach Species - the most specific group.
A species is simply a group of organisms that can breed together and produce fertile offspring. Think of it like this: all dogs belong to the same species because they can interbreed, but dogs and cats cannot produce fertile offspring together.
Quick Tip: Remember the order with this phrase: "Dear King Philip Came Over For Good Soup" (Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species)