Order

Definition

In biological classification, an order is a rank used to classify a group of related families. Orders help scientists organize and understand the evolutionary relationships between different organisms.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Orders are one of the eight main taxonomic ranks in biological classification, placed between class and family.
2. The name of an order is often derived from the name of one of its included families but ends with the suffix '-ales.'
3. Orders help to categorize organisms that share broad similarities and evolutionary traits.
4. The concept of an order was first introduced by Carl Linnaeus in his system for naming, ranking, and classifying organisms.
5. There can be multiple orders within a single class, each containing one or more families.

Review Questions

• What taxonomic rank comes directly above and below an order?
• How are orders named in biological classification?
• Who introduced the concept of an order in taxonomy?

Related terms

Family:

A taxonomic rank below order that groups together related genera.

Class:

A higher taxonomic rank than order that includes several related orders.

Taxonomy:

The science of naming, defining, and classifying groups of biological organisms based on shared characteristics.