The Classification System Developed For The First Time By Scientists, The Heritage Of Carolus Linnaeus

Illustration of Capung Classification (Pexels/Tamila Aura)

YOGYAKARTA - In the world of science, especially biology, a classification system becomes an important foundation for understanding the diversity of living things. This system helps scientists compose and classify various types of organisms based on certain equations and characteristics.

However, who first developed a scientific classification system? The answer is Carolus Linnaeus, a Swedish scientist who lived in the 18th century.

Prior to Linnaeus, many scientists and philosophers, including death, had tried to group living things. The body divides animals based on blood and their habitat, such as land and sea animals. However, the system used at that time was still very simple, inconsistent, and not based on clear scientific methods.

Another problem is the long and complicated use of name to name a species. These names often consist of many words and differ between one expert and another, causing confusion. Therefore, a standard and universal naming and grouping system is needed.

Carolus Linnaeus (17071778), also known as Carl von Linne, is the main character introducing a modern scientific classification system. Humans always give names to what they see, but Linnaeus is the first scientist to develop a hierarchical naming structure that provides information about species (named) and also their closest relatives.

The ability of Linnaeus's system to convey complex relationships to scientists around the world is what makes it widely adopted. In 1735, he published an important work entitled Systema Naturae, which is a major milestone in taxonomy, the science of grouping living things.

Launching the BBC, Linnaeus systems classify living things based on characteristics consisting of several levels or taxes, namely Kingdom (Kingdom), Phylum (Filum) specifically for animals, Class (Classes), Order (Ordo), Family (Famili), Genus (Genus), and Species (Species).

This system is then known as Linnaean's taxonomy system and is still in use today, although it has undergone many improvements as genetics and molecular biology progress.

Another big contribution from Linnaeus is the nomenclature double naming system or binomial. He determined that each species must have two scientific names consisting of genus names and species names. An example is Homo sapiens for humans, where Homo shows genus, and sapiens show species.

The writing of this name must follow certain rules, namely in Latin, the genus name begins with capital letters, and the species name is written in lower letters. Both are skewed or underlined if written hand.

This system simplifies and standards the naming of species around the world, so scientists from various countries can communicate more effectively without confusion of terms.

Although Linnaeus only recognizes two main kingdoms, namely Animalia (animals) and Plantae (growth), its classification system is the basis of a modern classification system. Along with the development of scientific knowledge, experts added new kingdoms such as Fungi, Protista, and Monera, as well as developing a three-domain system (Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya) to accommodate findings from molecular biology.

DNA technology and genetic analysis now allow the classification of organisms based on evolutionary relationships, not just exterior forms or morphologies. However, the basic structure of the Linnaean system is still very relevant and becomes an important framework in modern taxonomy.

Looking at the explanation above, it is known that the scientific classification system that Carolus Linnaeus first developed systematically represents an important milestone in biological history. By introducing the nomenclature taxonomy and binomial hierarchy system, Linnaeus has succeeded in creating a neat and consistent scientific structure in grouping living things. Its scientific heritage continues to be used to date, proving how important its contribution is in the development of science.