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Home Q & A Board Biology-Related Homework Help General Biology
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SpiritWolf SpiritWolf
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7 years ago
Why does a dichotomous key offer only two choices at each step?
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taigetaige
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#1
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7 years ago
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#2
7 years ago
A dichotomous key is a series of questions which leads to the identification of an item.

A dichotomous key is a method for determining the identity of something (like the name of a butterfly, a plant, a lichen, or a rock) by going through a series of choices that leads the user to the correct name of the item. Dichotomous means "divided in two parts".

At each step of the process of using the key, the user is given two choices; each alternative leads to another question until the item is identified. (It's like playing 20 questions.)

For example, a question in a dichotomous key for trees might be something like, "Are the leaves flat or needle-like?" If the answer was "needle-like," then the next question might be something like, "Are the needles in a bunch or are they spread along the branch?" Eventually, when enough questions have been answered, the identity of the tree is revealed.
wrote...
#3
4 years ago
"Dichotomous” means “divided into two parts". Each step two choices are offered to narrow down the choices, eventually locate the only organism that suits all the classifications.

2 choices is sufficient in dividing and grouping the identical organisms,
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#4
4 years ago
thanks
Ava S. Author
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#5
3 years ago
thanks
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#6
3 years ago
thanks
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#7
3 years ago
h
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#8
3 years ago
Cool
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