Question

Name the basic unit of biological classification.

Answer 1

Hint:It forms the lowest rank in the biological taxonomy.

Complete answer:
To answer this question, first, we need to know about biological classification. It is the scientific method of arranging organisms into groups based on their dissimilarities and similarities in a hierarchy of categories. A taxonomy category is a level or rank in the hierarchical classification of organisms. There are seven obligate categories and they are species, genus, family, order, class, phylum or division, and kingdom.
Species are the basic unit of biological classification. It describes only one type of animal. It is the largest organism group where fertile offspring can be formed by any two individuals of the respective sexes or mating types, typically through sexual reproduction.

Additional information:
The hierarchy of categories is the arrangement of organisms in a definite series of categories in a descending order from the kingdom to the species or an ascending order from species to kingdom. The number of related category characters declines from the lowest level i.e., species to the highest rank i.e., kingdom. To make species' taxonomic position more accurate, some categories have been added to the list and are called intermediate categories such as subkingdom, superphylum or superdivision, subdivision, superclass, etc.

Note: Students may confuse between genus and species. Species and genus are two taxonomic ranks that are used to classify the organisms biologically. The major difference between species and genus is that genus is a lower classification level that present above species and below family, whereas species is the basic category of closely related organisms present below the genus.