Scientific Names of Animals And Plants: Definitions, Complete Details

Scientific names and binomial nomenclature refer to a formal system of naming species of living things in biology. Scientific names help us to know the name and use it universally across the globe for proper scientific communication. Such a name is in two parts: genus and species. For example, the grey wolf "Canis lupus". Scientific Names of Plants and Animals is a topic pf the chapter The Living World in Biology.

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This Story also Contains

1. Binomial Nomenclature
2. Structure of Scientific Names
3. Principles of Naming
4. Rules of Binomial Nomenclature
5. Scientific Names of Animals
6. Scientific Names of Plants
7. Taxonomic Hierarchy
8. Uses of Scientific Names
9. Recommended video on Scientific Names of Animals And Plants

Binomial Nomenclature

Binomial nomenclature is a system of providing each species with a unique two-part Latinised name consisting of its genus and species epithet; for example, Homo sapiens for humans. It was devised by Carl Linnaeus in the 18th century.

The names for organisms, before Linnaeus, were generally long descriptive titles or regional common names and, as such, led to confusion and misidentifications. Linnaeus developed a hierarchical system of grouping the species based on their similarities to form a classification system that serves as the basis for modern taxonomy.

Structure of Scientific Names

Scientific names are binomial, consisting of two parts: the genus name capitalised, and the species epithet in small letters. When handwritten, it should be in italics or underlined. For example, Homo sapiens is the scientific name for modern humans and Homo is the genus, whereas sapiens provides specific detail of the species. Similarly, Rosa indica represents a species of roses, Rosa being the genus and the specific epithet is represented by indica. Such a standardised form helps one to be clear and exact in the way of defining an organism and classifying it into a group, which allows easy study and research in the case of biological sciences through proper communication.

Principles of Naming

Latin is the language used for scientifically naming an organism as, during the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods, it was the language of communication in scholarship all across Europe. Its use continues today because Latin is a "dead" language, meaning it no longer changes and its meanings are fixed. Such stability ensures that scientific names remain consistent and universally understood among scientists worldwide, regardless of their native languages. There would be no confusion and accurate communication in both taxonomy and ecology and conservation biology while doing research, where a species is easily identified from its scientific name for classification purposes.

Also read

• MCQ on Scientific Names of Plants and Animals
• The Living World
• Taxonomical Hierarchy
• Binomial Nomenclature

Rules of Binomial Nomenclature

• The genus name is always capitalised, as, for example, in Canis for dogs.

• The species epithet is written in lowercase, as, for example, lupus for wolves.

• When printed, scientific names are usually italicised, as, for example, in Canis lupus.

• The handwritten equivalent of italics is to underline the letters in Canis lupus, for example.

• Always write the genus name accompanied by the species epithet. Together the two parts make the species' scientific name-for example, Canis lupus.

• Scientific names are normally pronounced according to the rules of Latin pronunciation.

Scientific Names of Animals

Given below are the scientific names of a few animals

Scientific Names of Plants

Given below are the scientific names of some plants

Taxonomic Hierarchy

The taxonomic hierarchy lumps organisms in categories of increasingly specific commonalities and evolutionary relationships.

• Domain: This is the highest rank, based on cell type

• There are three recognised domains: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.

• Domain was introduced as the most broad 'branch of life".

• Kingdom: One level below the domain, organisms are grouped by general cell structure and physiology.

• Certain commonly recognised kingdoms house, for example: Animalia (animals), Plantae (plants), and Fungi.

• Phylum: Going one step down, each kingdom is divided into phyla. Further classification of organisms with higher-order similarities, but with the same body plan or structure, is done here.

• For example, the animal kingdom has Chordata as a phylum that includes vertebrates.

• Class: Classes further divide phyla and group organisms based on even more specific characteristics than that of a phylum. Mammalia Class in the Chordata phylum are mammals.

• Order: The next higher level is that of order. It is more specifically a group of related organisms that share further characteristics, so Carnivora is part of the class Mammalia.

• Family: Orders are divided into families. A family includes a group of closely related genera. Felidae, for instance, is the cat family and belongs to the order Carnivora.

Uses of Scientific Names

Scientific names therefore provide a common means of identifying and referring to organisms across languages and countries, archiving the ambiguity that may arise due to common usage by which names can vary greatly. Due to this, workers who come from different language backgrounds can correctly relate and understand, without any miscomprehension, as to which species is under discourse. Due to this precision, in biological studies where precision is extremely crucial, scientific names allow a researcher to make precise referrals and comparisons of species, thus promoting international cooperation in the development of science in taxonomy, ecology, as well as conservation biology.

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