Review the key concepts, formulae, and examples before starting your quiz.
🔑Concepts
Binomial Nomenclature is the formal system of naming organisms, introduced by Carolus Linnaeus in his works like and .
Every biological name consists of two components: the Generic name (denoting the ) and the Specific epithet (denoting the ).
Biological names are generally in Latin or are Latinized. When printed, they are written in italics, and when handwritten, they are separately underlined to indicate their Latin origin.
The first word (Genus) starts with a capital letter, while the specific epithet starts with a small letter, for example: .
The author's name appears after the specific epithet in an abbreviated form, such as in , where denotes that the species was first described by Linnaeus.
Nomenclature is governed by international codes: (International Code for Botanical Nomenclature) for plants and (International Code for Zoological Nomenclature) for animals.
📐Formulae
💡Examples
Problem 1:
Identify the correct representation of the scientific name for the common housefly according to the rules of Binomial Nomenclature.
Solution:
Explanation:
The genus starts with a capital letter, the specific epithet starts with a small letter, and both words are italicized.
Problem 2:
Given the name , identify the components.
Solution:
Genus: , Specific Epithet: , Author: .
Explanation:
The first term is the genus, the second is the specific epithet, and the third is the abbreviated name of the scientist who first validly published the name.
Problem 3:
Why is the name underlined in handwritten notes?
Solution:
To indicate its Latin origin.
Explanation:
According to the rules of nomenclature, scientific names must be underlined separately when handwritten to signify that the name is derived from Latin, as Latin is a dead language and provides a fixed standard.