| Step | Process | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Characterization | Scientists study and describe the morphology, anatomy, physiology, and other characteristics of organisms. |
| 2 | Identification | By analyzing the characteristics, scientists determine the specific species, genus, family, etc., of an organism. |
| 3 | Classification | Based on the characteristics, scientists group similar organisms together into categories (taxa). |
| 4 | Nomenclature | Scientists assign names to the identified and classified organisms, following a set of rules and conventions. |
| 5 | Taxonomy | The study of classification, which encompasses characterization, identification, classification, and nomenclature. |
