Essay Sample on Classification: Arranging Organisms in Taxonomic Categories

Introduction

Classification refers to a process involving the categorization of organisms. Classification makes it easier to recognize, differentiate, and comprehensively understand organisms. Ruggiero et al. argued that classification refers to the arrangement of various objects in taxonomic categories according to the observed similarities (30). It assists in in-depth comprehension of the identified category with a lot of ease. Furthermore, Hibbett and Donoghue claimed that classification comprises the scientific procedure that constitutes the stratification of organisms in sub-groups and groups of hierarchical series on the basis of their dissimilarities as well as similarities (348). It simply refers to the method that scientists use to group living organisms. Similarities among living organisms form the basis of classification; similarities can be established by exploring the physical features of an organism. However, the modern techniques of classification comprise the generic analysis.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Linnaean Classification

Every system of classification is grounded in the Linnaean classification system. Müller claimed that the Linnaean classification system was established in the 1700s by Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist (31). He made a lot of effort in trying to classify every living organism that existed during his time. He categorized organisms that had common physical characteristics, such as shapes of leaves as well as the number of legs. Owing to his great contribution to the field of classification, Linnaeus became known as the “father of taxonomy.” The Linnaeus classification system comprised of a hierarchical grouping, commonly known as taxa, which ranged from kingdom to species (Müller 33). Linnaeus described the kingdom as the most inclusive and largest grouping. The kingdom comprised of the various organisms which have in common some basic similarities; an example of such organisms consists of animals as well as the plant kingdoms. Linnaeus further termed the species as the most inclusive and the smallest grouping. Species comprise of organisms that bear close similarities and can come together to produce fertile offspring (Müller 35). Linnaeus further classified species that are closely related to a group called genus. Taxa follow certain general plan just like the original taxonomy of Linnaeus. The taxa take a hierarchical order and comprise of kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.

Biopharmaceutical Classification System (BCS)

The Biopharmaceutical Classification System refers to an experimental model that plays a pivotal role in measuring solubility and permeability under a condition that is tightly prescribed (Benet 34). Originally, the sole purpose of the biopharmaceutical classification system was to assist in regulating generics as well as post-approval changes, offering approvals on the basis of in vitro data whenever appropriate. Most significantly, due to the fact that most of the drugs are dosed orally, the design of the system was based on drug delivery.

Benet argued that the industry is, however, making use of the biopharmaceutical classification system as a significant tool that aids in drug product development (37). The biopharmaceutical classification system can be utilized for flagging drugs that need not be clinically tested unless proper formulations strategies are put in place. For instance, BCS Class II compounds, which are permeable but relatively insoluble, would most likely not be the best clinical candidate minus the usage of improved formulations techniques that aim at enhancing dissolution rate as well as solubility. Benet maintained that there exist numerous schemes that try to cover certain active pharmaceutical ingredients towards given drug delivery techniques on the basis of the BCS category (39).

Phylogenetic Systematics Classification System

A German Willi Henning is the one who founded "Phylogenitic Systematics." Phylogenetic Systematics tries to precisely formulate the intuitive idea that organisms that exist within species are related more closely with one another than to members of other species. According to Hibbett and Donoghue, this needs to be done in a manner that is consistent with evolution (189).

Hibbett and Donoghue further argued that phylogenetic systematics is useful in the reconstruction of the evolutionary history and mainly involves studying the relationship patterns among various organisms (190). However, it is quite unfortunate that history is something that is invisible. History only holds what happened once and, therefore, only presents clues concerning what happened. According to Hibbett and Donoghue, such clues are used by systematists to help in the reconstruction of evolutionary history (201).

Phylogenetic systematics classification system employs comparative phylogenetic methods which exploit information concerning the historical relationship of lineages to help in testing the various evolutionary hypothesis. Such comparative methods have a lot of long-term history in evolutionary biology. Ruggiero et al. stated that in his quest for providing evidence concerning the origin of species, Charles Darwin made use of similarities as well as differences between various species (36). Nevertheless, owing to the fact that lineages that are closely related have numerous traits in common as a result of the process of descent with modifications implies that lineages are never independent. It is this realization that encouraged the establishment of explicitly phylogenetic comparative methods. Originally, such methods were mainly established to help in controlling phylogenetic history, especially when performing tests for adaptations. Though, Ruggiero et al. argued that in the present years, the term had been broadly used to comprise any usage of phylogenies in various statistical tests (37). However, the majority of the studies that use comparative phylogenetic methods mainly focus on extant organisms. It is also worth noting that numerous methods can be applicable to extinct taxa and integrate various information from fossil records.

Views of Mayr, Aristotle, and Darwin

Mayr claimed that according to Linnaean classification, living organisms, within given species, are capable of interbreeding with one another but not with another group of species; this can happen whenever a species is made up of a number of local populations that are geographically arranged in a ring (Ereshefsky 186). In this case, every population is capable of interbreeding with an immediate neighbor; however, it is not possible for the population that exists at the end of the chain to interbreed. For example, population W can interbreed with X, X with Y, Y with Z, but W and Z are capable of interbreeding.

According to Aristotle, phylogenetic systematics provides numerous ways of grouping objects into types that are natural on the basis of consistent decisions that are existent in the world as opposed to reflecting human interest. Darwin, on his part, argued that even if a set of individual counts as species surprise arbitrary, then certainly it cannot match the notion of species as natural kinds (Benet 39). It is worth noting that Mayr, Aristotle, and Darwin argued that Linnaean, biopharmaceutical as well as phylogenetic systematics classification systems have some aspects of hierarchical structures.

References

Benet, Leslie Z. "The Role of BCS (Biopharmaceutics Classification System) and BDDCS (Biopharmaceutics Drug Disposition Classification System) In Drug Development." Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol 102, no. 1, 2013, pp. 34-42. Elsevier BV, doi:10.1002/jps.23359. Accessed 14 July 2020.

Ereshefsky, Marc. "Some problems with the Linnaean hierarchy." Philosophy of Science, vol 61, no. 2, 1994, pp. 186-205. University of Chicago Press, doi: 10.1086/289795. Accessed 14 July 2020.

Hibbett, David S., and Michael J. Donoghue. "Integrating phylogenetic analysis and classification in fungi." Mycologia, vol 90, no. 3, 1998, pp. 347-356. Informa UK Limited, doi:10.1080/00275514.1998.12026917. Accessed 14 July 2020.

Müller, Wille, S. "Systems And How Linnaeus Looked At Them In Retrospect." Annals of Science, vol 70, no. 3, 2013, pp. 305-317. Informa UK Limited, doi:10.1080/00033790.2013.783109. Accessed 14 July 2020.

Ruggiero, Michael A. et al. "A Higher Level Classification of All Living Organisms." PLOS One, vol 10, no. 4, 2015, pp. 30-37. Public Library of Science (Plos), doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0119248. Accessed 14 July 2020.