What is the basis of nomenclature of organisms? (3 marks)

Nomenclature is the procedure of assigning names to the kinds and groups of organisms listed in a taxonomic classification.

The accepted system is Binomial nomenclature, proposed by the botanist Carolus Linnaeus. This is a system for naming plants and animals by means of two Latin names i.e. the genus name and species name.

In binomial nomenclature, the first name is the genus or generic name beginning with a capital letter whereas the second name is the species name which begins with a small letter.

The scientific name is given in italics when printed. But when written by hand, the genus name and the species name have to be underlined separately.

Example - Panthera leo (lion)