Video Transcript
The binomial naming system was developed by Carl Linnaeus. Each organism has a Latin name consisting of two parts, its genus and its species. The binomial name for lion is Panthera Leo. What is a lion’s genus name?
The binomial naming system is also called binomial nomenclature or Linnaen classification. Binomial nomenclature is a scientific term that means two-name naming system. The genus name is always first, and the species name is always last.
It can be thought of as similar to how many people are named. Take the common English name Sally Smith. Her last name, Smith, is analogous to a genus name in that it designates a larger group that she’s a part of. It’s a more general family designation. Her first name, Sally, is more like a species name in that it’s very specific and denotes her as an individual.
Now, let’s return to our question. The binomial name for lion is Panthera Leo. What is a lion’s genus name? Since we know that in the binomial system, the genus name is always first, the genus name for lion is Panthera.
Let’s try two more examples.
The binomial name for a venus flytrap is Dionaea muscipula. What is a venus flytrap’s species?
In this case, since Dionaea is written first, we know that that’s the genus name. And muscipula must be the species. So, a venus flytrap’s species is muscipula.
The binomial name for humans is Homo sapiens. What genus do we belong to?
This question asks for the genus name. And in binomial nomenclature, the genus is given first. The genus for humans is Homo.
