In biology, a phylum ( /ˈfaɪləm/; plural: phyla) is a taxonomic rank below kingdom and above class. Traditionally, in botany the term "division" is used instead of "phylum", although in 1993 the International Botanical Congress accepted the designation "phylum". The kingdom Animalia contains approximately 35 phyla; the kingdom Plantae contains 12 phyla. Current research in phylogenetics is uncovering the relationships between phyla, which are contained in larger clades, like Ecdysozoa and Embryophyta.
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