Biodiversity
The variety of different kinds of plants, animals, or organisms.
Nomenclature
The system of naming organisms for universal identification.
Identification
The process of describing and naming organisms according to specific codes.
ICBN
International Code for Botanical Nomenclature, guiding plant naming.
ICZN
International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, guiding animal naming.
Binomial Nomenclature
A two-part scientific naming system established by Carolus Linnaeus.
Genus
The first part of a scientific name, representing a group of similar species.
Specific Epithet
The second part of a scientific name, specifying a particular organism.
Taxa
Categories for classifying organisms, which can mean many similar things.
Taxonomy
The process of classifying organisms into different taxa.
Systematics
The branch of study focused on understanding organisms and their diversities.
Biological Name
Generally written in Latin and formatted in italics.
Taxonomic Categories
Hierarchical ranks in ascending order for classifying organisms.
Species
A basic unit of classification, distinguished by specific features.
Family
A group of related genera that exhibit less similarity than species.
Order
An assemblage of families showing even fewer similarities.
Class
A grouping of multiple orders, e.g., Mammalia for mammals.
Phylum/Division
Based on shared common features; division for plants; phylum for animals.
Kingdom
The highest taxonomic rank, with two examples: Kingdom Animalia and Kingdom Plantae.
Universality in Nomenclature
Both genus and specific epithet are handwritten underlined or printed in italics.