Among the different kinds of animals we find mammals.
The term class comes from the Latin word classis . The dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) recognizes a dozen meanings of the concept.
The first meaning indicated by the RAE refers to the set of individuals or components that have common characteristics . A class, in this sense, represents a grouping of elements.
Class in biology
In the field of biology , the notion of class refers to a group that includes different orders of animals or plants . It is a classification given by the taxonomy based on the existence of similar or the same characters.
The taxonomy, in this framework, contemplates an ordering that is carried out according to multiple categories . The class is placed above the order and below the division or the edge .
Take the case of animals . Mammals constitute a class whose essential feature is the presence of mammary glands that produce milk to feed their young. Dogs, cows, bears, cats and horses, for example, belong to the class of mammals.
If we focus on plants , conifers are a class of the gymnosperm subdivision. The conical shape that the branches develop as a whole, the cone-like fruits and the persistent leaves are among the traits that conifers exhibit.
The notion of class is used in different ways in the field of education.
The notion in education
In the educational field, the idea of class is used in various ways. The group of students who are taught in the same classroom can be named in this way.
Class is also called the activity that takes place in the educational center , the lesson taught by a teacher and a subject : “Today there will be no classes due to fumigation and disinfection tasks in the building,” “In class this morning We talked about intransitive verbs” , “I asked the class to remain silent while I was in charge of explaining the topic since it is quite complex” .
It is worth mentioning that a class, as synonymous with a lesson, can take place outside the formal educational system or the academic field. It is possible to take tennis lessons with a private teacher or English classes through an Internet portal.
The social classes
It is common that, for analytical or statistical purposes, society is divided into different strata. In this way, mention of the existence of social classes is frequent.
A social class is made up of people who have similar incomes and a similar amount of material properties . Thus, social class is linked to a certain position in the hierarchical pyramid of society.
A usual division distinguishes between the upper class (the sector with the highest income and with more properties), the middle class (the intermediate stratum) and the lower class (the population group that receives less income and has few possessions). Due to changes in the conditions and circumstances of each person, someone can ascend or descend in social class.