Species
종
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<speciesfyi-glossary slug="species"></speciesfyi-glossary>Definition
The fundamental unit of biological classification; a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring.
Detailed Explanation
The biological species concept — defined by interbreeding — works well for sexually reproducing organisms but fails for asexual bacteria, fossil species, or ring species like herring gulls where adjacent populations interbreed but end populations do not. Alternative concepts include the phylogenetic species concept and ecological species concept. Approximately 8-9 million species are estimated to exist, but fewer than 2 million have been formally described.