dichotomous key
Species sorting guide
A dichotomous key is a tool for identifying organisms or objects through a series of binary choices.
At each step, you choose between two mutually exclusive options—Does the leaf have smooth or serrated edges? —and your answer leads to the next pair of choices until you reach an identification.
Widely used in biology for classifying plants, insects, and other specimens.
Splitting into separate directions
- forkingDividing into branches
- coupletsPaired rhyming verse lines
- leadsGoes in front
- bifurcationDivision into two branches
binary · paired · sequential · nested · pathway · node · endpoint · divergence
Science of categorical arrangement
- classificationSystematic grouping by traits
- morphologyStudy of structural forms
- traitsDistinguishing personal features
- characteristicsDistinguishing features or qualities
genus · species · family · flora · fauna · botany · zoology · entomology
Research outside the office
- specimenIndividual for examination
- sampleSubset for study
- laboratoryFacility for scientific investigation
- naturalistStudent of nature
biologist · student · teaching · outdoor education · nature walk · inventory · collection · herbarium
Recognizing an organism's type
- field guidePortable species identification manual
- determinationFirmness of purpose
- diagnosticTest to identify problems
- distinguishingIdentifying differences
sorting · narrowing down · elimination · matching · recognition · verification · pinpointing · resolving
branching
Splitting into separate directions
bifurcation · binary · paired · sequential · nested · pathway · node · endpoint · divergence · splitting
taxonomy
Science of categorical arrangement
- classificationSystematic grouping by traits
- morphologyStudy of structural forms
- traitsDistinguishing personal features
characteristics · genus · species · family · flora · fauna · botany · zoology · entomology · ornithology
field work
Research outside the office
- specimenIndividual for examination
- sampleSubset for study
- laboratoryFacility for scientific investigation
naturalist · biologist · student · teaching · outdoor education · nature walk · inventory · collection · herbarium · museum
species identification
Recognizing an organism's type
- field guidePortable species identification manual
- determinationFirmness of purpose
- diagnosticTest to identify problems
distinguishing · sorting · narrowing down · elimination · matching · recognition · verification · pinpointing · resolving
presence
State of being somewhere
- absenceState of not being
- leaf shapeConfiguration of blade edges
- marginEdge of a page
venation · hair · spines · color · size · number · arrangement · texture · lobed · toothed
- science educationscience fair, science class, science teachers, science lab, science projects
- botanybotany, plants, plant biology, plant, plant anatomy
- classification systemstaxonomy, species, cladogram, phylum, genus
- Mycology Suppliesmicroscope, petri dish, petri dishes, spore print, hand lens
- classificationcategory, classification, group, cataloging, grouping
- reference worksencyclopedia, encyclopedias, handbook, dictionaries, reference book
dichotomy, dichotomous, dichotomies, dichotomize, dichotomized, dichotomizing