DSMZ-Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH, Inhoffenstraße 7B, D-38124 Braunschweig, Germany.
Grup de Microbiologia Marina, Departament d'Ecologia I Recursos Marins, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), C/Miquel Marqués 21, E-07190, Esporles, Spain.
Int J Syst Evol Microbiol. 2010 Jan;60(Pt 1):249-266. doi: 10.1099/ijs.0.016949-0. Epub 2009 Aug 21.
Taxonomy relies on three key elements: characterization, classification and nomenclature. All three elements are dynamic fields, but each step depends on the one which precedes it. Thus, the nomenclature of a group of organisms depends on the way they are classified, and the classification (among other elements) depends on the information gathered as a result of characterization. While nomenclature is governed by the Bacteriological Code, the classification and characterization of prokaryotes is an area that is not formally regulated and one in which numerous changes have taken place in the last 50 years. The purpose of the present article is to outline the key elements in the way that prokaryotes are characterized, with a view to providing an overview of some of the pitfalls commonly encountered in taxonomic papers.
特征描述、分类和命名。这三个要素都是动态领域，但每个步骤都依赖于前一个步骤。因此，一组生物体的命名取决于对它们的分类方式，而分类（除其他要素外）取决于因特征描述而收集的信息。虽然命名受《细菌命名法规》的约束，但原核生物的分类和特征描述不是一个正式监管的领域，在过去 50 年中发生了许多变化。本文的目的是概述原核生物特征描述的关键要素，以期概述在分类学论文中常见的一些陷阱。
