The concept of Taxonomy is a science that deals with the principles, methods and purposes of classification. In particular, according to its definition by the Royal Spanish Academy, it is applied within biology, for the hierarchical and systematic arrangement, with their names, of the groups of animals and plants.
The origin of the word is Greek, from the words taxis (τάξις), which means “ordering” and nomos (νόμος) “norm or rule”.
But biology is not the only subject that uses this method of ordering or organizing concepts.
In Social Sciences and Education, this system is also used to classify the different phases of learning. And in the field of Health Sciences, Nursing uses its own taxonomic method to issue patient diagnoses.
Taxonomy in biology (Linnaeus)
The taxonomic classification in Biology is important since it serves as an aid to avoid confusion between species.
This classification system is consensual and universal, in this way, it serves so that the scientific community can define, without a doubt, the living being that they intend to study or name.
Biological taxonomy is in charge of studying the relationships between species from the evolutionary point of view and establishes relationships between them.
The best known scientist in this matter is Carl von Linen, known in Spanish as Linnaeus. He was the promoter or precursor in using the definition of close taxonomic categories that are known today:
- Kingdom
- Phylum
- Class
- Order
- Family
- Gender
- Species
Although this system is the only basic classification system that has the approval of the universal scientific community, different studies have led to an expansion of the number of levels used by this Swedish scientist.
Taxonomy of the human being:
- Animalia Kingdom.
- Phylum: chordata.
- Class: mammal.
- Family: Hominidae.
- Gender: homo.
- Species: Homo sapiens.
Depending on the type of categories, subdivisions are created that make up a complete taxonomic tree of the species analyzed.
With this classification, what is known as the phylogenetic tree is formed. It is an illustrative way of representing the way in which life evolved from its origins to today.
This tree is a graphic representation whose branches represent the different evolutionary paths that the analyzed species takes to form new species.
Through the phylogenetic tree we can see and represent the life of said species and classify living beings according to their action within evolution.
It should be noted that biological taxonomy is closely linked to systematics, a science that is responsible for carrying out the study of kinship relationships or affinities between different species.
Within biology, taxonomy maintains a very close relationship with paleontology, genetics, embryology or evolution, among others.
Even so, numerous scholars have developed different classification methods that improve this original theory, offering contributions for the better development and elaboration of the phylogenetic tree of the species. These contributions are strictly linked to scientific advances in the different subjects mentioned above.
Taxonomy in education
- As we mentioned at the beginning, biology is not the only subject that taxonomy uses. In education, the taxonomy serves to make educational practice more efficient through learning objectives, structuring information under a premise of order and rationality. That is, develop a practical guide to organize teaching.
- Other authors helped improve this theory of Bloom’s taxonomy: Marzano and Hendall, who developed the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. This theory incorporates new insights into the human thought process into Bloom’s theory.
- According to these authors, Bloom’s theory only classifies human beings according to how they process external information.
- Marzano and Kendall’s Taxonomy is more oriented towards learning that manifests itself in the opportunity for change, in what the person is doing or knowing, when new tasks are presented. They called it “cognitive schema modification.”
- The authors establish as important the learning, feelings and beliefs of the individual and the capacities that he has to set goals in his life and actions, as well as the strategies he develops to achieve them. They called this: metacognition.
Taxonomy in nursing
- Another of the disciplines that Taxonomy uses is Nursing.
- Nursing diagnoses are seen as the key to the practice of said discipline and the most effective way to satisfy the needs of patients, families and the community.
- Nursing professionals use the so-called “NANDA Taxonomy” as a reference, which establishes a categorization of the diagnosis.
- They establish 13 domains that allow diagnoses to be classified in this area:
- Health promotion, nutrition, elimination and exchange, activity and rest, perception and cognition, self-perception, roles and relationships, sexuality, coping and stress tolerance, vital principles, security and protection, comfort and, finally, growth and development