Final answer:
The systematic organization of artifacts into types based on shared characteristics is known as taxonomy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is A) taxonomy; characteristics. Taxonomy refers to the systematic organization of artifacts into types on the basis of shared characteristics.
An example of taxonomy in biology is the classification of organisms into different groups based on their shared characteristics, such as the presence of certain traits, genes, or behaviors.
This system helps scientists organize and study living organisms using consistent terminology. For example, the Linnaean taxonomy classifies organisms into hierarchical categories like domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.