Introduction to Binomial Nomenclature
Binomial nomenclature is a system of naming organisms in which each species is given a unique name consisting of two parts: the genus and the species. The genus is a group of closely related species, and the species is a specific group within the genus.
The system of binomial nomenclature was developed by Carolus Linnaeus in the 18th century, and it is still in use today. Linnaeus’ system was based on the idea that every species should have a unique name, and that this name should be based on the characteristics of the organism.
Under the system of binomial nomenclature, each organism is given a scientific name that consists of two parts: the genus and the species. The genus is always capitalized and the species is not. For example, the scientific name for the domestic dog is Canis lupus, where “Canis” is the genus and “lupus” is the species.
The system of binomial nomenclature is used by scientists all over the world to name and classify organisms, and it helps to ensure that each species has a unique and consistent name. We can understand this system better with an example…
Rules of Writing a Scientific Name
There are a few rules that should be followed when writing a scientific name:
- The scientific name should be written in italics or underlined.
- The genus name should be capitalized and the species name should be lowercase.
- The scientific name should be written in full the first time it is mentioned in a paper or article, and then the abbreviated form can be used thereafter. For example, the scientific name for the domestic dog (Canis lupus) could be written as “Canis lupus” the first time it is mentioned, and then “C. lupus” thereafter.
- When referring to multiple species within the same genus, the genus name can be abbreviated. For example, “Canis lupus and Canis familiaris” could be written as “C. lupus and C. familiaris.”
- When writing the scientific name of a species that has been recently reclassified or renamed, it is important to use the most up-to-date name.
| Modern Humans |
| Generic Name | Homo |
| Specific Name | sapiens |
Scientific Name Of Some Common Animals
Listed below are the scientific names of some common animals which are usually askeded in competitive exams.
Some Common Animals Names with Their Scientific Names
| Name of Animals | Scientific Name |
|---|---|
| Ant | Formicidae |
| Arabian camel | Camelus dromedarius |
| African elephant | Loxodonta |
| Albatross | Diomedeidae |
| Alpaca | Vicugna pacos |
| Asian Elephant | Elephas maximus |
| Bat | Chiroptera |
| Bird | Aves |
| Brown Tree Snake | Boiga irregularis |
| Gaur | Bos gaurus |
| Goat | Capra aegagrus hircus |
| Bear | Ursidae |
| Polar bear | Ursus maritimus |
| Sun bear | Helarctos malayanus |
| Blackbuck | Antilope cervicapra |
| Black rat | Rattus rattus |
| Buffalo | Bubalus bubalis |
| Bulbul | Pycnonotidae |
| Butterfly | Rhopalocera |
| Cat | Felis catus |
| Cheetah | Acinonyx jubatus |
| Chinkara | Gazella bennettii |
| Cobra | Naja |
| Cockroach | Blattodea |
| Common Myna | Acridotheres tristis |
| Cow | Bos taurus |
| Crocodile | Crocodylus palustris |
| Deer | Cervidae |
| Dog | Canis lupus familiaris |
| Dolphin | Cetacea |
| Eagle | Accipitridae |
| Elephant | Elephantidae |
| fish | Vertebrata |
| Red fox | Vulpes vulpes |
| Gavial or Gharial | Gavialis gangeticus |
| Giraffe | Giraffa camelopardalis |
| Great horned owl | Bubo virginianus |
| Hen | Gallus gallus domesticus |
| Hippopotamus | Hippopotamus amphibius |
| Horse | Equus caballus |
| House crow | Corvus splendens |
| Housefly | Musca domestica |
| House mouse | Mus musculus |
| House sparrow | Passer domesticus |
| House wall Lizard | Hemidactylus flaviviridis |
| Indian Cobra | Naja naja |
| parrot | Psittaciformes |
| Indian Python | Python molurus |
| Kashmir stag or hangul | Cervus canadensis hanglu |
| King cobra | Ophiophagus hannah |
| Koel | Eudynamys scolopaceus |
| Leopard or panther | Panthera pardus |
| Monkey | Simiiformes (infraorder) |
| Mosquito | Culicidae |
| Lion | Panthera leo |
| Lizard | Squamata |
| Nilgai | Boselaphus tragocamelus |
| Peacock | Pavo cristatus |
| Pig | Sus |
| Prawn | Dendrobranchiata |
| Rabbit | Oryctolagus cuniculus |
| Rat | Rodentia |
| Rat snake | Ptyas mucosa |
| Rattle snake | Crotalinae |
| Rhesus monkey | Macaca mulatta |
| Rhinoceros | Rhinoceros unicornis |
| Sea snake | Hydrophiinae |
| Sheep | Ovis aries |
| Siberian crane | Grus leucogeranus |
| Snakehead | Channidae |
| Sparrow | Passer domesticus |
| Spider | Araneae |
| Starfish | Asteroidea |
| Tiger | Panthera tigris |
| Tiger Snake | Notechis scutatus |
| Wild Ass | Equus africanus asinus |
| Wild boar | Sus scrofa |
| Wolf | Canis lupus |
| Zebra | Equus quagga |
| Earthworm | Lumbricus |
| Grasshopper | Caelifera |
| Honey Bee | Apis |
| Pigeon | Columba livia |
| snake | Serpentes |
Some Scientific Names of Plants
Listed below are the some scientific names of a few common plants which are usually ask in competitive exam.
Some Common Plant Names with Their Scientific Names
| Name of Plants | Scientific Name |
|---|---|
| Apple | Malus domestica |
| Bamboo | Bamboosa aridinarifolia |
| Banana | Musa paradisiaca |
| Banyan | Ficus benghalensis |
| Black Gram | Plasoes mungo |
| Black Pepper | Piper nigrum |
| Brinjal | Solanum melongena |
| Capsicum | Capsicum frutescens |
| Carrot | Daucas carota |
| Clove | Syzygium aromaticum |
| Coriander | Coriandrum sativum |
| Cotton | Gossypium herbaceum |
| Cucumber | Cucumis sativus |
| Curry plant | Murraya koenigii |
| Drumstick | Moringa oleifera |
| Garlic | Allium sativum |
| Ginger | Zingiber officinale |
| Green Gram | Phaseolies aulicus |
| Guava | Psidium guajava |
| Henna | Lawsonia inermis |
| Horse Gram | Dolichos biffoeus |
| Jowar | Sorghum vulgare |
| Lemon | Citrus limonium |
| Lettuce | Lactuca sativa |
| Maize | Zea mays |
| Mango | Mangifera indica |
| Mint | Mentha arvensis |
| Money Plant | Epipremnum aureum |
| Neem | Azadirachta indica |
| Onion | Allium cepa |
| Orange | Citrus aurantium |
| Pineapple | Ananas comosus |
| Potato | Solanum tuberosum |
| Radish | Raphanus sativus |
| Red Gram | Cajanus cajan |
| Sandalwood | Santalum album |
| Spinach | Spinacia oleracea |
| Tobacco | Nicotina tobaccum |
| Tomato | Solanum lycopersicum |
| Tulsi | Ocimum sanctum |
| Turmeric | Curcuma longa |
| Watermelon | Citrullus vulgaris |
| Wheat | Triticum aestivum |
Some Scientific Names of Extinct Organisms
List of the most popular and well-known extinct organisms along with their scientific names.
Some Extinct Organisms with Their Scientific Names
| Extinct Organisms | Scientific Names |
|---|---|
| Passenger pigeon | Ectopistes migratorius |
| Tasmanian tiger | Thylacinus cynocephalus |
| Moa | Dinornithiformes |
| T-Rex | Tyrannosaurus rex |
| Great auk | Pinguinus impennis |
| Megalodon | Carcharocles megalodon |
Read Also: Branches of Biology