Scientific Names of Animals and Plants: Definitions, Nomenclature, How to Write, Significance, Uses, and Rules

Scientific Names of Animals and Plants Overview

Our world is rich in variety. Our environment is home to a wide variety of plants, animals, and creatures. Many have been found, and many more are still concealed. Species refers to the many types of creatures that make up an ecosystem. Every species has a local name, which varies depending on where it is used.

What is Nomenclature?

Nomenclature is the practice of referring to living things by their scientific names. Various names for both plants and animals are used around the world. The idea of nomenclature was devised to prevent misunderstandings and guarantee that everyone uses the same word to refer to a certain name. Local names are distinct from scientific names.

Who is the Father of Scientific Nomenclature?

The world now uses the system that Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus invented for formally naming living things. In his 1753 work "Species Plantarum," he first introduced the idea of binomial nomenclature, and he further discussed it in Systema Naturae (1758). 

How to write Scientific Names Correctly?

A number of experts have devised protocols to give each recognized creature a scientific name in order to facilitate research. To ensure the distinct identification of species everywhere, scientists from all around the globe have accepted the worldwide code, which is as follows-

1. Scientific names for plants are determined by accepted standards and criteria that are outlined in the International Code for Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN). 
2. Scientific names for animals have developed based on the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). 

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Binomial Nomenclature in Scientific Names of Animals and Plants 

An official method of designating a species that is commonly used is called binomial nomenclature. Two names make up the nomenclature, and both of them are Latin-derived. It can, however, also be borrowed from other languages. A binomial or scientific name is what we refer to as such a name. The genus to which an organism belongs is highlighted by the generic name or the first few letters of the name. The second portion, or specific name, indicates the precise species of the genus that the organism belongs to.

The following table can help in better comprehend this system-

Significance of Scientific Names of Animals and Plants

The idea of binomial nomenclature has been crucial in giving all living things scientific names. The following are the significance of the Animal scientific names of animals and plants-

1. All scientific names are standardized, acknowledged, and approved worldwide.
2. Before the invention of binomial nomenclature, organisms were given extremely lengthy and cumbersome names. 
3. The development of binomial nomenclature has made it simple to memorize the scientific names of creatures.
4. When using local names, misunderstandings can be avoided thanks to binomial nomenclature.

List of Scientific Names of Animals

Similar to the naming system for plants, animals also have names. The genus is written first in a scientific name, then the species. However, the first and second portions of a plant's scientific name cannot be the same as its binomial name. This is permitted for animals. The list of common animals' scientific names is shown below-

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List of Scientific Names of Plants

The following table gives details about the various scientific names of some common plants-

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Scientific Names of Extinct Organisms

Since the binomial nomenclature is based on the taxonomy of creatures, it's noteworthy to note that phylogenetic and evolutionary studies have considerably aided in establishing the connections between these extinct animals and surviving organisms. This is done specifically to identify the species and genus, aiding in the naming of the organism. The following is a list of scientific names for extinct animals-

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What are the Uses of Scientific Names?

Scientific names, also known as binomial nomenclature, are derived from Latin and are used to identify things like plants, animals, and living things. It offers a lot of benefits, including-

1. Organization and classification: Entities are fully arranged, making it simple and organized to comprehend and examine the attributes of specific entities.
2. Precision and clarity: The names are supplied with one scientific term for each, preventing misunderstanding.
3. The scientific names are standardized and widely used.
4. The names are kept even if a species is moved to a different genus due to new information.
5. Establishing an association between two species, it helps to comprehend the similarities and differences among other species that belong to the same genus.

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Rules for Scientific Names of Animals and Plants

The uniform guidelines for referencing each specific organism's scientific name. The scientific name must be written according to five guidelines-

1. Each creature is distinct and has just one name. The scientific names for different creatures cannot be the same.
2. Following the species is an abbreviated version of the name of the researcher who discovered the creature.
3. Italics should be used when printing the scientific name. Scientific names written by hand should also be underlined individually to show that they are of Latin origin.
4. Regardless of where they originate, binomial names are often drawn from the Latin language.
5. The genus should be indicated by the first word, which must begin with a capital letter. And the second word, which should begin with a little letter, designates the particular epithet.

For Example: Let's use mango as an example. The species "Indica" and genus "Mangifera" both refer to mangoes. "Mangifera indica Linn" is the right method to write the scientific name of a mango. The term Linn in this name refers to Carolus Linnaeus, the naturalist who discovered the mango.

Conclusion

The process of designating organisms or giving them a scientific name is referred to as binomial nomenclature. The scientific name is composed of the genus and species names. Scientific names are important because they offer a uniform method for characterizing an organism's species for scientists from all around the world. The particular name must never be capitalized, but the generic name must always be, according to the rules of binomial nomenclature. Italicize the name in its entirety as well. Because each creature has a name, this method is popular because it makes things easier to remember and understand.