Taxonomy

What is taxonomy?

Taxonomy is a branch of biology concerned with identifying and naming organisms.

Who developed the binomial system of naming species?

Carolus Linnaeus developed the binomial system to name species.

What is the binomial system?

A two-part Latin naming system for organisms consisting of a genus name and a specific epithet.

How is the scientific name written correctly?

Both names are italicized (or underlined if handwritten). The genus name starts with a capital letter; the specific epithet is lowercase.

Example: Homo sapiens or Felis silvestris

What does the first part of the scientific name represent?

The genus — closely related species are placed in the same genus.

What does the second part of the scientific name represent?

The specific epithet, which usually provides descriptive information about the organism.

Can the genus be abbreviated?

Yes, once the full name is given.

Example: Escherichia coli → E. coli.

Why is a scientific name used?

To avoid ambiguity when publishing research; the name is descriptive of the organism.