Why is it important to classify the diversity of living things?

Question

This question refers to biology. Im taking the class this year, and i cannot come up with a very good response!

Answer 1

Classification, or taxonomy, is important in biology for a number of reasons. Establishing relationships between extant organisms, allow us to construct phylogenies which help us to understand their evolutionary history; this knowledge is invaluable right across the board, from paleontology (tracing changes of anatomy in fossils), to genetic engineering (whether a gene from one organism is likely to function in another), to medicine (which species a given virus is likely to spread between) to development (whether genes for one structure are the same that form a homologous one, i.e. fins/legs/wings), to conservation (investigating previous extinctions, establishing the diversity of animals under threat) to immunology (whether a transplanted organ will be accepted/rejected).

In summary, it is EXTREMELY useful to understand where the species you are studying lies in the grand scheme of things.