![]() ![]() Scientists use dichotomous keys to organize and classify large amounts of information so it can be easily shared with other scientists and studied.Dichotomous keys can be developed to identify anything. By observing similarities and differences in plants, scientists can classify plants into families and gain further understanding of their characteristics. Have a friend try out your completed key to see that it leads users to the correct choices and identification.Ī dichotomous key is a useful classification tool that notes the similarities and differences between different plant species. The more items your beginning collection has, the longer your key will be. The sample key is fairly short and simple. Your completed key should look something like this:Ī. ![]() When the first group is complete, repeat the steps until all of the plants in the second group (group B) have been named. Step 4: Continue to identify characteristics and divide groups until all of the plants are named. The next division in our example is leaf edge:Ī. When you form a group with only one plant, name it. Step 3: After the collection has been divided into two groups, divide the first group (group A) into two more groups based on one characteristic. For example, our group of corn, hosta, oak tree and dandelion could be divided by leaf color:ī. Record the chosen characteristic and the groups formed. Carefully observe your specimens to pick a characteristic which can be used to decide which plant goes into which group. Scientists have catalogued 1.5 million species on Earth and estimate that there might be as many as 100. Step 2: Decide how to split your group in two parts. A dichotomous key is an important scientific tool, used to identify different organisms, based the organism’s. For example: a corn plant, hosta, oak tree and dandelion. Step 1: Begin by gathering your plants (or pictures of plants) to be identified. ![]() You will continue to divide each group in two until all of the groups have only one member. Possible physical characteristics to use include plant size, plant shape, leaf shape, stem type, color, and presence of seeds, fruits or flowers. They are all related, but each is a separate species. Scientists use these to identify unknown organisms. It is a written set of choices, each involving two statements, that leads to the name of an organism. To make a dichotomous key you will choose physical characteristics that can be used to divide a collection into two parts. The identification of biological organisms can be greatly simplified using tools such as dichotomous keys. The word dichotomous comes from two Greek words that mean divide in two parts. A dichotomous key is guide, sort of like a map of characteristics, to lead the user to the correct identification of the plant. Making your own plant dichotomous key is a little like playing twenty questions to identify a plant. ![]()
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