Which is the highest in the hierarchy of taxonomic categories

Options

A. Order
B. Species
C. Class
D. Genus

Answer

To determine the highest category in the hierarchy of taxonomic categories, we need to understand the order of these categories. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the taxonomic hierarchy:

1. **Understand Taxonomic Hierarchy**: Taxonomy is the science of classification of living organisms. The hierarchy of taxonomic categories is structured from broad to specific.

2. **Identify the Major Categories**: The major taxonomic categories, in order from highest to lowest, are:
- Kingdom
- Phylum
- Class
- Order
- Family
- Genus
- Species

3. **Analyze the Given Options**: The options provided in the question are:
- Order
- Species
- Class
- Genus

4. **Determine the Highest Category**: Among the options given, we need to identify which one is the highest in the taxonomic hierarchy.
- **Order** is lower than Class.
- **Species** is the lowest category.
- **Genus** is also lower than Class.
- **Class** is higher than Order, Family, Genus, and Species.

5. **Conclusion**: Therefore, the highest category among the options provided is **Class**.

Final Answer: The highest in the hierarchy of taxonomic categories is **Class**.