Binomial Nomenclature

Science > Biology > General Biology > Diversity of Living Organisms > Binomial Nomenclature

Biologists follow universally accepted principles to provide scientific names to known organisms. Each name has two components – the Generic name (genus) and the specific epithet (species name). Hence the system is called binomial nomenclature.

We can compare the generic (genus) name with our surname. We share our surname with other members of the family. similarly, a species can share a generic name with other members of the genus. The species name is like our name. It is possessed by only one kind of organism. It does not share it with any other member of the genus. This system of providing a name with two components is called Binomial nomenclature. This naming system given by Carolus Linnaeus is being practiced by biologists all over the world.

Rules of Nomenclature:

These rules are given by the International Code of Biological Nomenclature.

• Biological names are generally in Latin and written in italics.
• They are Latinized or derived from Latin irrespective of their origin.
• The first word in a biological name represents the genus which is a simple noun while the second component is a descriptive adjective which denotes the specific epithet (character).
• Both the words in a biological name, when handwritten, are separately underlined or printed in italics to indicate their Latin origin.
• The first word denoting the genus starts with a capital letter while the specific epithet starts with a small letter.
• The generic, as well as a specific name, do not generally have less than three letters and more than thirteen letters. It can be illustrated with the example of Mangifera indica (mango).
• Usually, the name of the author appears after the specific epithet, i.e., at the end of the biological name and is written in an abbreviated form or in full. e.g. Mangifera indica L. It indicates that this species was first described by Linnaeus.  This method of mentioning the author’s name is called a citation.
• To avoid confusion, no two generic names in any kingdom can be the same. However, species name can be repeated when genera are different. E.g. Mangifera indica (mango) and Azadirachta indica (neem)

Advantages of Binomial Nomenclature:

• These names are simple and meaningful, precise and standard as they are accepted universally.
• Using this system confusion created by vernacular or local language can be avoided. For e.g. Ipomoea batatas is called sweet potato (English), Shakarkand  (Hindi), Ratalu (Marathi), Meetha alu (Bengali), Kandmul (Telugu) and Janasu (Kannada)3. It is easy to understand and remember.
• It indicates a phylogenic (evolutionary) history of that species.
• It helps to understand the relationship between organisms and groups of organisms.

Names of Some Plants Using Binomial Nomenclature:

Sr. No.	Common Name	Scientific Name
1	Apple	Pyrus malus
2	Brinjal	Solanum melongena
3	Cabbage	Brassica oleracea
4	Carrot	Daucus carota
5	Ginger	Zingiber officinale
6	Grape vine	Vitis vinifera
7	Mango	Mangifera indica
8	Neem	Azadirachta indica
9	Pea	Pisum sativum
10	Pear	Pyrus communis
11	Potato	Solanum tuberosum
12	Tamarind	Tamarindus indica
13	Wheat	Triticum aestivum
14	Rice	Oryza sativa
15	Maize	Zea Mays
16	Jowar	Sorghum bicolor
17	Bajra	Pennisetum glaucum
18	Sunflower	Helianthus annuus
19	China rose	Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
20	Jute	Corchorus capsularis

Names of Some Animals Using Binomial Nomenclature:

Sr. No.	Common Name	Scientific Name
1	Cobra	Naja naja
2	Cockroach	Periplaneta americana
3	Dog	Canis familiaris
4	Wolf	Canis lupus
5	Domestic cat	Felis domestica
6	Earthworm	Pheretima posthuma
7	Frog	Rana tigrina
8	Lion	Panthera leo
9	Tiger	Panthera tigris
10	Leopard	Panthera padus
11	Snow leopard	Panthera uncia
12	Honey bee	Apis mellifera
13	House fly	Musca nebulo
14	House sparrow	Passer domestica
15	Horse	Equus caballus
16	Human	Homo sapiens
17	Indian Elephant	Elephas maximus-indicus
18	African Elephant	Loxodonta africana
19	Rat	Rattus rattus
20	Fox	Vulpes vulpes
21	Silk worm	Bombyx mori
22	Tape worm	Taenia solium

Science > Biology > General Biology > Diversity of Living Organisms > Binomial Nomenclature