Biology Simplified: Scientific Names and Binomial Nomenclature
by Yuvi K - December 16, 2023
Biology Simplified: Scientific Names and Binomial Nomenclature
Biology, often called the science of life, is a branch of science that deals with the study of living organisms. By observing the way living organisms interact, scientists have been able to better understand the diversity of life on Earth. To make the study of living organisms simpler and easier to comprehend, scientists have developed a system – known as binomial nomenclature – to give scientific names to living organisms.
Binomial nomenclature simplifies the way living organisms are identified scientifically. It is a scientific system created by the biologist, Carl Linnaeus, which uses a two-part Latin name composed of two words to classify and name living organisms.
Binomial Nomenclature: Definition and Overview
In simple terms, binomial nomenclature is a two-part Latin name which is given to species of living organisms. The system was developed by Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist and biologist in the 18th century. The two-part Latin name consists of a genus or generic name followed by a species or specific epithet.
For example, the scientific name of the common man – Homo sapiens- consists of two words: Homo (genus) and sapiens (species). Similarly, the scientific name of the Elephant – Elephas maximus – consists of two words as well: Elephas (genus) and maximus (species).
Advantage of Using Binomial Nomenclature
- Binomial nomenclature is a universal system used by scientists around the world.
- It helps in avoiding confusion and misunderstandings since all scientific names abide by a standard system.
- It is helpful for scientists since they don’t have to memorize the local names of organisms.
- Since binomial nomenclature is based on Latin, it is a stable language which does not change much over time.
Disadvantages of Using Binomial Nomenclature
- Binomial nomenclature requires much time and effort to learn the scientific names of organisms.
- It does not provide much information about the organism as compared to its local names.
- It is difficult for layman to understand the scientific names as it is based on Latin language.
- It is not suitable to use for organisms which don’t belong to a particular species.
How to Pronounce Binomial Nomenclature?
Binomial nomenclature is often difficult to pronounce as it is based on Latin. The best way to pronounce a binomial name is to break it down into its two parts.
For example, if the binomial name is Elephas maximus, you can break it down into its two components – Elephas and maximus. So, the correct pronunciation would be ‘eh-LEH-fas MAX-ee-mus’.
Conclusion
Binomial nomenclature is a complicated yet simple system developed by Carl Linnaeus with the purpose of simplifying and standardizing the naming of living organisms. It is a two-part Latin name consisting of a genus name and a species name. Although it proves to be an easy system for scientists to use, it can be difficult for layman to understand and use, given its Latin origin.
Nevertheless, binomial nomenclature remains an important system used universally by scientists all over the world and should be incorporated into the biology syllabus of junior science students so that they understand the system better.
