1. Domain: The broadest category, like Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.
2. Kingdom: A large group of organisms sharing fundamental characteristics, like Animalia (animals), Plantae (plants), Fungi, and Bacteria.
3. Phylum: A smaller group within a kingdom, like Chordata (animals with a backbone), Arthropoda (insects, spiders, crustaceans), or Mollusca (snails, clams, squids).
4. Class: A smaller group within a phylum, like Mammalia (mammals), Aves (birds), or Reptilia (reptiles).
5. Order: A smaller group within a class, like Primates (monkeys, apes, humans), Carnivora (meat-eating mammals), or Rodentia (rodents).
6. Family: A smaller group within an order, like Hominidae (great apes), Felidae (cats), or Canidae (dogs).
7. Genus: A smaller group within a family, like Homo (humans), Panthera (lions, tigers), or Canis (wolves, dogs, coyotes).
These ranks are hierarchical, meaning that a group at a higher rank contains many groups at a lower rank.
Important Note: Species is the smallest and most specific group within genus. While not part of the seven taxonomic ranks, it's crucial to understand the concept of species as the basic unit of biodiversity.