Rules of Binomial Nomenclature

Rules of Binomial Nomenclature

There are codes of nomenclature : International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, International Code of Bacteriological Nomenclature, International Code of Viral Nomenclature and International Code of Nomenclature fir Cultivated Plants. International conferences are help from time to update the codes and resolve the controversies, If any. The rules formed under there coed as well as the rules set by Linnaeus areas follows:

1.       Each organism is given only one name consisting of two words, generic and specific.

2.       Though the coeds are separate for plants, animals, bacteria, etc. and the same generic name can be given to different organisms belonging to these domains. It should be avoided. However the same specific name can be given to organisms belonging to different genera.

3.       The generic name is written first. It is followed by specific name and then the name of the discoverer in full or in abbreviation.

4.       The specific name can be single or compound. Usually it begins with  a small letter. Capital letter is made occasionally when the name of species is based after a place or person.

5.       The scientific name is printed in italic. It is underlined in handwritten description. An exception is made when the biological name is written as title of paragraph.

6.       The name of the author is kept in Roman script.

7.       The original manes were is taken from Latin and Greek language. New names are now derived either from Latin language or are Latinised. This is because Latin language is dead and, therefore, it will not changer or spellings with the passage of time.

8.       Barring obvious error or misprint, a scientific name retains its original spellings.

9.       No names are recognized prior to those used by Linnaeus in 1753 for plants in “Species Plantarum” and in 1758 for animal in the 10^th edition of time.

10.   The names of families and subfamilies should be based on name of types genus.

11.   The name of subfamilies and other categories are not printed in italics. They can however, be written in bold letters.

12.   When a species e. g., Syzygium cumini Skeels.

13.   In publishing a new name the type specimen of the material is kept.

14.   A new scientific name I thought of on the basis of its characteristic, a personality or place. The selected name is such that it has no resemblance with any previously published name.

Advantages of Scientific Name

Every species had a single and specific name consisting of two world. Every organism know to science has been provide with a scientific name irrespective of its importance. There is no possibility of any changes in the spellings of a scientific name as the latter has been derived from dead Latin language. The names are of universal application for all the countries and the languages. They are generally descriptive. They names indicate relationship of a species with other present in the same genus. That are comprehensive and are easier to recollect. A wrong name can easily be corrected. A newly discovered organism can be easily provided with a new scientific name.

Scientific or Technical Names.

1.       All organisms do not occur in area.

2.       Many organisms occurring in a particular area have not been given common names because they are either microscopic or are unimportant to human affairs.

3.       Certain common names have no significance. Rather they are misleading, e,g., Love in a Mist, Hen and chicken For get me Not, Widow’s Tears Yesterday Today Tomorrow.

4.       Some common names have incorrect meaning e. g,. Silver Fish, Jelly Fish, Cuttle Fish, Star Fish,. They belong to different phyla and have no relationship with true fishes. Silver fish is not even aquatic.

5.       Common names cannot be used in communications amongst scientists of  even the different regions of same country because the same organisms has different local names in different parts. For example, Rose is called golab in Hindi, Golap in Banagla and  Rojapo in Tamil. Butterfly is titli in Hindi, Prajati in Bangla and vannathu poochi In Tamil.

6.       Sometimes a single organism is know by several names in the same language, E . g., Water Lily has 81 Dutch names, 44 French names and 15 English names. Likewise, Prickly Poppy has 8 Hindi names.

7.       Different regions can have opposing names Corn is Maize in Commonwealth countries while it implies wheat and other grains in U,S.A.

8.       A single name is often used for two or more species.  Toush me not is the names for both impatient balsamifera and Mimosa pudica. Dodhak is the name of many plants that possess milky latex e. g., Euphorbia, Sonchus, Launaed, etc.

9.       A wrong common name cannot be easily corrected.

Scientific or Technical Names.

 A scientific name is the one which is given by biologists and is understood to represent a particular organisms in every part of the world. Scientists ensure that a name being given by them had not been used earlier for any other organisms. The system of providing scientific and technical names is know as binomial nomenclature.

Binomial Nomenclature 

The system was developed by Linnaeus. The Technical names recognized internationally are ones given by Linnaeus in “Species Plan tarum” and the and the 10^th edition of his book Systema naturae”. Binomial nomenclature in the system of providing organisms with appropriate and distinct names consisting of two worlds. First generic and second specific. The first or generic world is also called genus. It is like a noun and its first letter is written in capital from. The secnd world or specific slither represents the species. It is like an adjective. Its first letter in small from except occasionally when it denotes a person or place. To the two word name is appended the name of taxonomist who discovered the organism and provided it with its scientific name, e. g., Ficus bengalensis L., Mangifera indca Linn., Homo sapiens Linnaeus. The name of taxonomist can be written in full or in abbreviated form. There are several technical names which have three word is generic, the second specific while the third word represents variety or subspecies. If the same scientific name is to be written time and again, the name of genus can be abbreviated, e, g,. F. bengalensis.