diff --git a/frontend-js/src/main/js/map/data/BioEntity.js b/frontend-js/src/main/js/map/data/BioEntity.js
index 01f1c76d51f0e85a1b378a00b31e9d39ed4fbd89..149dfd3976435cdacf74b7e7b114c47b16f554f2 100644
--- a/frontend-js/src/main/js/map/data/BioEntity.js
+++ b/frontend-js/src/main/js/map/data/BioEntity.js
@@ -92,6 +92,9 @@ BioEntity.prototype.getDescription = function() {
 };
 
 BioEntity.prototype.setType = function(type) {
+  if (type === undefined) {
+    throw new Error("type cannot be undefined");
+  }
   this._type = type;
 };
 
@@ -125,5 +128,4 @@ BioEntity.prototype.setReferences = function(references) {
   this.references = references;
 };
 
-
 module.exports = BioEntity;