4.3.2 Binomial System Flashcards
What is a Binomial?
A species is a group of organisms that are able to reproduce to produce fertile offspring
Binomials are the scientific names given to individuals species
Binomials consist of the organism’s genus and species name in modern Latin
For example, the binomial for humans is Homo sapiens and the binomial for dogs is Canis familiaris
Binomials are extremely useful for scientists as they allow for species to be universally identified - the binomial for a species is the same across the entire globe
How do we name species?
Species are often given common names, but these common names are often differ between countries and do not always translate directly between different languages
In order to avoid confusion about what group of organisms scientists are talking about, all species are given a two-part scientific name using the binomial system
This naming convention was developed and established by the Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus in the 18th Century
The binomial name is always italicized in writing (or underlined if it is not possible to italicise)
For example:
The most commonly known yeast is Saccharomyces cerevisiae
It is common to abbreviate the genus name (e.g. S. cerevisiae)
Saccharomyces paradoxus is another species of that is a member of the same genus as cerevisiae
The binomial for a species is always typed in italics or underlined when handwritten. The genus name should have a capital letter but the species name should not.
