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Our world is full of diversity. There are various kinds of plants, animals, and organisms present in our ecosystem. Many have been discovered and many are yet hidden. These organisms present in the ecosystem are referred to as species. All the species are known by local names that vary from place to place. To remove this confusion, biologists have come up with a process of giving a scientific name to all the species that are known all around the world which is known as nomenclature.
| Table of Content |
Key Terms: Binomial nomenclature, toxonomic hierchy, scientific names, kingdom, Ecosystem, organisms, animals, plants, Species, ICBN, ICZN
Nomenclature
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The number of species that have been discovered and named till now is between 1.7 - 1.8 million. Nomenclature helps us avoid confusion by giving a single scientific name to a species all over the world. Nomenclature can only be done, after the characterization, identification, and classification of the organisms.
The organisms that have to be named are first characterized, where all the morphological and other characteristics are studied. Based on the characteristics, the identification of the organism is done to figure out whether their characters are similar to any known group or taxon. Then they are classified on the basis of resemblance to different taxa. After placing the organisms in various taxa, the correct name of the organism is determined.
Scientists have established procedures to assign a scientific name to the organism, that is unique for all species. The scientific names of plants are based on the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN), and the names of animals are based on the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN)
Read Also: Solutions to Class 11 Biology Chapter 2 Biological Classification
Binomial Nomenclature
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Binomial Nomenclature is the system of providing a scientific name to the organisms, with two components, one is the generic name, and the other is a specific epithet. The two components used are the lowest taxons in the taxonomical hierarchy.
- This system was first proposed by Carolus Linnaeus, who is known as the father of taxonomy.
- This is an essential system in the scientific community as it provides a unique name to all species of organisms.
- The scientific names describe the organism species in a way that is universal for scientists all around the world.
- This system is mainly used by taxonomists in naming and identifying a species of a particular organism.
- The scientific names are derived from the Latin names of the organisms, thus it solves the problem of the language barrier in identifying the organisms.
- Example - Mangifera indica is the scientific name for Mango. Here the Mangifera refers to the genus name and Indica is the species name.
Read Also: Salient Features of Kingdom
Rules of Binomial Nomenclature
There are certain rules in binomial nomenclature that are followed by biologists and zoologists all around the world. Some of these rules include:
- The scientific names of animals and plants are generally in Latin, irrespective of their origin, and are written in italics.
- The first word of the scientific name will be the genus and the second word will be a species name.
- When the scientific names are hand-written then they are underlined to indicate their Latin origin.
- The first word of the scientific name starts with a capital letter and the second word with a small letter.
- The name of the author can be mentioned after the specific epithet. Eg - Mangifera indica Linn, indicates that it was first described by Linnaeus.
Read More:
| Chapter Related Topics | ||
|---|---|---|
| Biological Classification | Two Kingdom Classification | economic importance of fungi |
| Mycology | Components of Ecosystem | where do microorganisms live |
Classification of Animals and Plants
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It is impossible to study all living organisms. But in order to make that possible, the organisms are grouped into various categories or taxon, based on some easily observable characteristics. This process is called classification and this study is known as taxonomy.
Read Also: Heterotrophic Bacteria
Taxonomic Hierarchy
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Taxonomic Hierarchy is the process in which the organisms are placed in the various levels of the classification groups or categories called taxons. There are seven components in the modern taxonomic hierarchy with Kingdom as the highest taxa, followed by division/phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.
- Kingdom - Kingdom is the highest taxa in the taxonomic hierarchy. There are 5 kingdoms in which the living organisms are divided. These 5 groups are Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista, and Monera.
- Phylum/Division - Phylum is for animals and division is for plants. It is the next taxa after the kingdom and is more specific than the kingdom. The kingdom Animalia has 35 phyla that include Porifera, Chordata, Arthropoda, etc. Similarly, there are various divisions in Kingdom Plantae.
- Class - It is the rank below phyla/division. In the Kingdom, Animalia has 108 classes that include class Mammalia, reptilia, aves, etc.
- Order - It is the rank after class and is more specific than the class. In class Mammalia, there are 26 orders like primates, Carnivora, etc. Similarly, there are various orders for class reptilia, aves, and other classes.
- Family - It is the rank after the order. The order Carnivora includes the family Canidae, Felidae, Ursidae, etc.
- Genus - It is the rank below the family. It is a group of similar species. Some genera have only one species, known as monotypic, and some have more than one species called polytypic. Eg - The lion and tiger belong to the same species and thus they are placed under the genus Panthera.
- Species - It is the lowest rank of the taxonomical hierarchy. It refers to the group of organisms that are similar in form, shape, reproductive features, etc.
Read Also: Ascomycetes
Nomenclature based on Taxonomic Hierarchy
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Taxonomic Hierarchy is essential for the nomenclature of the organisms because the scientific names require the name of the last of taxon i.e, the genus name and the species name. Let’s take an example of ‘man’ and how they are named based on taxonomical hierarchy.
| Taxonomical Hierarchy | Names for humans in the specific category |
|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Primates |
| Family | Hominidae |
| Genus | Home |
| Species | Sapiens |
Thus the scientific name is Homo sapiens. Home is the Genus name and the sapiens is the species name.
Some of the other organisms with their taxonomical categories and scientific names have been mentioned in the table below:
| Common Names | Housefly | Mango | Wheat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia | Plantae | Plantae |
| Phylum | Arthropoda | Angiospermae | Angiospermae |
| Class | Insecta | Dicotyledonae | Monocotyledonae |
| Order | Diptera | Sapindales | Poales |
| Family | Muscidae | Anacardiaceae | Poaceae |
| Genus | Musca | Mangifera | Triticum |
| Species | Domestica | Indica | Aestivum |
| Scientific Names | Musca domestica | Mangifera indica | Triticum aestivum |
Scientific Names of Animals and Plants
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The scientific names of animals and plants are essential for the scientific community as it eliminates the confusion between the scientists of different nations. Scientists from different nations can converse about the specific organism easily, avoiding the confusion that may arise from differing common names.
Scientific Names of Plants
Some of the scientific names of plants are mentioned in the table below:
| Local Names | Scientific Names |
|---|---|
| Apple | Malus domestica |
| Bamboo | Bamboosa aridinarifolia |
| Banana | Musa paradisiaca |
| Brinjal | Solanum melongena |
| Carrot | Daucas carota |
| Lemon | Citrus limonium |
| Maize | Zea mays |
| Onion | Allium cepa |
| Orange | Citrus aurantium |
| Pineapple | Ananus sativus |
Scientific Name of Animals
Some of the scientific names of animals are mentioned in the table below:
| Local Names | Scientific Names |
|---|---|
| Cat | Felis catus |
| Cow | Bos taurus |
| Giraffe | Giraffa camelopardalis |
| Polar Bear | Ursus maritimus |
| Cheetah | Acinonyx jubatus |
| Camel | Camelus camelidae |
| Dolphin | Delphinidae delphis |
| Deer | Artiodactyl cervidae |
| Elephant | Proboscidea elephantidae |
| Horse | Eqqus caballus |
Scientific Names of Extinct Organisms
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Some of the scientific names of the extinct organisms are mentioned in the table below:
| Local Names | Scientific Names |
|---|---|
| Pyrenean Ibex | Capra pyrenaica |
| Passenger Pigeon | Ectopistes migratorius |
| Tasmanian Tiger | Thylacinus cynocephalus |
| Stellers Sea Cow | Hydrodamalis gigas |
| Great Auk | Pinguinus impennis |
| Dodo | Raphus cucullatus |
| Woolley Mammoth | Mammuthus primigenius |
| Saber-toothed Cat | Smilodon |
| Baiji White Dolphin | Lipotes vexillifer |
| Western Black Rhinoceros | Diceros bicornis longipes) |
Things to Remember
- The process of naming organisms or giving a scientific name to the organism is called Binomial Nomenclature.
- The scientific name consists of the genus name and species name.
- Scientific names are very important in the scientific community as they describe the species of organisms in a way that is universal for all scientists around the world.
- The scientific names eliminate the barrier created by the different languages of the world as the scientific names are derived from Latin names of the organisms.
- The scientific names are always written in italics or underlined to show their Latin origin.
- The naming of organisms will not be possible without characterization, identification, and classification.
- Classification helps to figure out the genus name and the species name and thus helps to give a scientific name to the organisms, based on the rules of ICBN and ICZN.
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| Important Topics | ||
|---|---|---|
| fungus life cycle | difference between rust and smut | difference between fungi and lichens |
| Cyanobacteria | Heterotrophic Bacteria | Saprophytes |
| What are Lichens? | Mycorrhiza | Prions |
Previous Years Questions
- Meiosis takes place in...[NEET 2013]
- The sexual reproduction is absent in….[NEET 1995]
- For union between stock and scion in grafting which one is the first to occur….[NEET 1990]
- A clone is ......… [KCET 2011]
- Animals which possess cleidoic eggs exhibit….[KCET 2011]
- Which among these is not a post fertilization event ?...[KCET 2016]
- Type of asexual reproduction found in Hydra is..[KEAM]
- Which of the following is having longitudinal binary fission ?….[KEAM]
- In grafting, the stock and scion should be joined….
- The mode of asexual reproduction in Euglena is….[CUCET 2010]
- Isogamy is found in...[CUCET 2010]
- In these plants artificial vegetative reproduction is possible through….[GUJCET 2006]
- Apomixis in plant means development of a plant… [BHU UET 2008]
- Which one of the following plants reproduces vegetatively by epiphyllous buds?
Sample Questions
Ques. What is Taxonomy and who proposed it first? (2 marks)
Ans. Taxonomy is the process of identifying, classifying, and nomenclature of all living organisms and plants, by grouping them based on similar characteristics.
Taxonomy was first proposed by a Swedish botanical taxonomist, named Carolus Linnaeus. He is also referred to as the father of taxonomy.
Ques. Explain Taxonomic Hierarchy. (5 marks)
Ans. Taxonomic Hierarchy is the process in which the organisms are placed in the various levels of the classification groups or categories.
- These are 7 categories in the modern taxonomic hierarchy and these are referred to as taxons.
- The seven taxons are Kingdom, division/phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.
- The kingdom is the highest taxa, whereas species is the lowest taxa.
- The taxons help to classify the organisms into various groups based on similar characteristics.
- The last two taxons, genus, and species are used to develop the scientific names of the organisms.
Ques. What are scientific names and what are their uses? (5 marks)
Ans. Scientific names are the unique names given to all living organisms that are universal among all biologists and taxonomists.
- The scientific name is developed from two components: the genus name and the species name.
- The scientific names are derived from the Latin names of the organism and thus they are written in italics or are underlined.
- They are based on the rule of ICBN and ICZN.
Uses of Scientific Names:
- It identifies the organisms in a way that is universal. Thus helping scientists around the world to easily identify the same animal.
- The organisms have different local names in different parts of the world. Since the scientific names only use the Latin names of the organisms, it eliminates the language barrier and makes the naming and identification of organisms easier.
Ques. What is ICBN and ICZN? (3 marks)
Ans. ICBN refers to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature and ICZN refers to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.
- These two provide a set of rules for the nomenclature of plants and animals based on international standards.
- These rules were first proposed by Carolus Linnaeus.
Ques. Mention the scientific name of Mango, Man, Housefly, Wheat. (3 marks)
Ans. The scientific names of the following are:
Mango - Mangifera indica
Man - Homo sapiens
Housefly - Musca domestica
Wheat - Triticum aestivum
Ques. What are the rules followed while naming an organism? (5 marks)
Ans. The process of naming a living organism or plant is known as binomial nomenclature. Some of the rules that are followed in binomial nomenclature are:
- The scientific names are generally in Latin, irrespective of their origin, and are written in italics.
- The first word of the scientific name will be the genus and the second word will be a species name.
- When the scientific names are hand-written then they are underlined to indicate their Latin origin.
- The first word of the scientific name starts with a capital letter and the second word with a small letter.
- The name of the author can be mentioned after the specific epithet. Eg- Mangifera indica Linn, indicates that it was first described by Linnaeus.
Ques. Why is nomenclature so important? (3 marks)
Ans. The world is full of diversity. There are different kinds of plants, animals, and organisms present in our ecosystem. The number of species that have been discovered and named till now is between 1.7 - 1.8 million.
All the species are known by local names that vary from place to place. To remove this confusion, biologists have come up with a process of giving a scientific name to all the species that are known all around the world. Therefore nomenclature is important so that scientists around the world can identify the organisms correctly.
Ques. Show an example of nomenclature based on taxonomical hierarchy. (5 marks)
Ans. Taking the example of ‘man’ and classifying and naming them based on taxonomical hierarchy.
| Taxonomical Hierarchy | Names for humans in the specific category |
|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Primates |
| Family | Hominidae |
| Genus | Home |
| Species | Sapiens |
Thus the scientific name derived is Homo sapiens.
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