CLASSIFICATION

"In biology, classification is the systematic categorization of organisms. One aim of modern classification, or systematics, is to show the evolutionary relationships among organisms. The broadest division of organisms is into kingdoms, traditionally two: Animalia (animals) and Plantae (plants). Fairly widely accepted today are three additional kingdoms: the Protista, comprising protozoans and some unicellular algae; the Monera, bacteria and blue-green algae; and the Fungi. From most to least inclusive, kingdoms are divided into the following categories: phylum (usually called "division" in botany), class, order, family, genus, and species. The species, the fundamental unit of classification, consists of populations of genetically similar, interbreeding or potentially interbreeding individuals that share the same gene pool (collection of inherited characteristics whose combination is unique to the species)." (Concise Columbia Encyclopedia)

We have animals and plants, protozoans and one-celled algae, bacteria and blue-green algae, and fungus. Five kingdoms of living things.

The first category within the kingdom of animals is phylum ("fye-lum"). That is defined as a taxonomic division of the animal kingdom.

Well, Mr. Webster tells us that ("tax-oh-NOM-ic") a division according the natural relationships of the creatures in their class, or it refers to the laws and principles of such classification.