Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
to all the members of a class. Without an accurate classification of living
organisms, it would be impossible to make significant progress in the diagnosis,
prevention, or treatment of infectious diseases.
James Joyce is credited with saying that “there are two sides to every
argument; unfortunately, I can only occupy one of them.” Students of the
life sciences simply cannot hope to understand terrestrial organisms without
accepting, at least tentatively, statements 1 through 5. After they have mas-
tered the principles and practice of modern taxonomy, as described herein,
they can re-assess the value of contrarian arguments.
