Deciding which group an organism resembles by looking at its characters is called what?

Correct answer: Identification

Answer: A, Identification. Identification means recognising an organism and matching its observable or measurable characters with descriptions of organisms that are already known. For example, examining leaf shape, flower structure, or body features and using a key to determine the organism’s name is identification. Taxonomy includes related activities, but they are not identical: characterisation describes features, nomenclature gives a scientific name, and classification places organisms into ordered groups. A is correct because the question asks about deciding which known organism or group an organism resembles. B is wrong because nomenclature is the act of assigning a name. C is wrong because classification arranges organisms into categories such as species, genus, and family after their identity and relationships are considered. D is wrong because characterisation only records or describes traits; it does not necessarily identify the organism. Memory cue: identify = ‘find its identity’; nomenclature = ‘give its name’.