Rules of Binomial Nomenclature with Examples

Definition and Rules of Binomial Nomenclature

Learn the definition and rules of binomial nomenclature along with examples. Understand how & why scientific names are assigned to each known species.

What is Binomial Nomenclature?

Let's break the term "binomial." The prefix "bi-" means "two," and "nomial" comes from the Latin word "nomen," which means "name." Nomenclature simply means the system of naming things. Therefore, binomial nomenclature is a system of naming species of living organisms in which the name consists of two terms. The first term represents the generic name (genus), while the second term denotes the specific epithet (species). For example, the scientific name of the mango is - Mangifera indica.

Note - I have not written it according to the rules of binomial nomenclature yet.

Why is it needed?

It's needed because of so many different animals and plants worldwide. Each place has its own local names for these living things, which can vary even within one country. This can confuse both regular people and scientists everywhere. For instance, consider the case of the plant "Calotropis." It is known as "Aakada" in Haryana (a state in India), "Aak" in Rajasthan (another state in India), and "Madar" in Madhya Pradesh (yet another state in India). Now, suppose someone from one of these states visits the US and asks for "calotropis" in their local language; this could lead to confusion.

That's why Binomial Nomenclature is needed to standardize the way we name and identify living organisms, ensuring that a particular organism is recognized worldwide by the same name.

Rules of Binomial Nomenclature

• Biological names are often in Latin and are written in a slanted style called italics. These names are made to sound or come from Latin, no matter where they originally come from.
• When biological names are written by hand, both the words are either separately underlined or written in the slanted style to show that they come from Latin.
• As mentioned earlier, the first term in a biological name indicates the genus and the second one denotes the species.
• Genus starts with a capital letter while species starts with a small letter.
• The person who discovered and named the species is also mentioned after the second word (species), but it is written in normal script. Let's take the same example of the mango to understand this.

This tells us that Linnaeus was the first to describe this particular species. Also now you can see the correct way of writing the binomial nomenclature according to its rule.

Fun Fact - The scientist who gave this system of naming his original name was “Carl von Linné,” which he later Latinized to “Carolus Linnaeus” before giving this naming system to the world. This shows the level of dedication he had for his work.

Few Examples of Binomial Nomenclature

Human - Homo sapiens
Housefly - Musca domestica
Wheat - Triticum aestivum
Lion - Panthera leo
Tiger - Panthera tigris
Leopard - Panthera pardus
Cat - Felis catus
Dog - Canis familiaris

Conclusion

To sum it up, binomial nomenclature is a basic yet crucial naming system for different species. It's like a common language in the field of biology, helping scientists worldwide to easily communicate and comprehend the incredible variety of life forms. Thanks to Carolus Linnaeus who came up with this idea, we can better understand how species are related, monitor changes in biodiversity, and deepen our knowledge of the living world. This system isn't going anywhere anytime soon – it's a vital tool for scientists and anyone intrigued by nature.

FAQ

Ques1 - Why are biological names written in Latin?

Ans1 - Biological names are written in Latin because Latin is a dead language, meaning it's no longer evolving or changing. Unlike English, which constantly adds new vocabulary and acronyms, Latin remains stable. This stability ensures that the scientific names of species remain consistent over time and across languages, facilitating accurate communication among scientists worldwide.

Ques2 - What is the first part of binomial nomenclature?

Ans2 - The first part of binomial nomenclature is the generic name or genus, and it should always begin with a capital letter.

Ques3 - Should we underline the scientist's name in binomial nomenclature?

Ans3 - No, scientist names are not underlined in binomial nomenclature. The scientist's name who first described the species is usually indicated separately, often abbreviated and without italics or underlining. For example:

Scientific name: Homo sapiens Linn.

Homo is the genus name, italicized.
sapiens is the species epithet, italicized.

Scientist's name: Carl Linnaeus. Often abbreviated as Linn. after the species name, indicating that Carl Linnaeus first described the species. It is not italicized or underlined.

Also Read: Taxonomy