What we gain by it
Studying 8.7 million species one at a time is beyond anybody. Classification is what makes it a job that can be done at all.
What classification gives us
- Living things can be studied easily.
- The distinguishing identity of a named organism is easy to recognise.
- An understanding of the whole living world can be gained by studying a few selected organisms rather than every organism there is.
- Relationships between different groups of organisms can be uncovered.
- Organisms of economic importance to people can be identified.
The third one is worth dwelling on
Learn about one insect and you have learned something not only about that insect but about 950,000 insects. Because the members of a group share characteristics, one specimen stands in for the whole group.
So classification is not merely tidying up. It is cutting the world down to a size that can be studied.