Principios de Taxonomia

238j Scientific Terms
Universal Universals are general qualities that a group of individuals or particulars
share, for example, a certain color or a number. The problem of universals is about
their status; as to whether universals exist independently of people s minds. For
example, class formation in taxonomy arises from attempts to account for the
phenomenon of similarity among particular organisms (see class). Tigers in East
Asia are similar, namely in having several attributes in common. The issue, however,
is how to account for this fact. The problem of universals is about whether universals
as such exist. Many philosophers agree that some universals exist (natural classes or
natural kinds), while other universals are nothing else than names made by humans
(artificial classes). Both types of universals, however, are not spatio-temporally
restricted, and as such they are the opposite of an individual (see class and
individual). Galaxies, for example, are a universal because they exist repeatedly in
the world. In contrast, the Milky Way is an individual, because it exists only once.
Vegetative reproduction The production of offspring from somatic cells. Vegetative
reproduction is reproduction without germ cells and without sexual contact
(see clone).