Binomial nomenclatureIn taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, although they can be based on words from other languages. Such a name is called a binomial name (often shortened to just "binomial"), a binomen, binominal name, or a scientific name; more informally, it is also called a Latin name.
SpeciesBasic unit of taxonomic classification, below genusThe hierarchy of biological classification's eight major taxonomic ranks. A genus contains one or more species. Minor intermediate ranks are not shown.A species (pl. species) is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity.
Carl LinnaeusSwedish biologist and physician (1707–1778)Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné, was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming organisms. He is known as the "father of modern taxonomy". Many of his writings were in Latin; his name is rendered in Latin as Carolus Linnæus and, after his 1761 ennoblement, as Carolus a Linné.
Virus classificationVirus classification is the process of naming viruses and placing them into a taxonomic system similar to the classification systems used for cellular organisms. Viruses are classified by phenotypic characteristics, such as morphology, nucleic acid type, mode of replication, host organisms, and the type of disease they cause.
Taxonomy (biology)In biology, taxonomy (from Ancient Greek (taxis)'arrangement' and ()'method') is the scientific study of naming, defining (circumscribing) and classifying groups of biological organisms based on shared characteristics. Modern approaches prioritize common ancestry and evolutionary relationships.
Taxonomic rankIn biological taxonomy, a taxonomic rank denotes the level that a group of organisms—either taxon or clade—occupies in a hierarchical system of classification, which is usually but not necessarily based on evolutionary relationships between those organisms.
LatinLatin (lingua Latina or Latinum) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area around Rome, Italy. Through the expansion of the Roman Republic, it became the dominant language in the Italian Peninsula and subsequently throughout the Roman Empire.
FossilPreserved remains or traces of organisms from a past geological ageExamples of animal fossils. Clockwise from top left: Onychocrinus, Palaeosinopa, Gryphaea, and HarpactocarcinusA fossil (from Classical Latinfossilis, lit. 'obtained by digging') is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age.
Family (taxonomy)Family (Latin: familia, pl.: familiae) is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy. It is classified between order and genus. A family may be divided into subfamilies, which are intermediate ranks between the ranks of family and genus.
NeontologyNeontology is a part of biology that, in contrast to paleontology, studies and deals with living (or, more generally, recent) organisms. It is the study of extant taxa (singular: extant taxon): taxa (such as species, genera and families) with members still alive, as opposed to (all) being extinct.
PhylogeneticsStudy of evolutionary relationships between organismsOne small clade of fish, showing how venom has evolved multiple times.In biology, phylogenetics () is the study of the evolutionaryhistory of life using observable characteristics of organisms (or genes), which is known as phylogenetic inference. It infers the relationship among organisms based on empirical data and observed heritable traits of DNA sequences, proteinamino acid sequences, and morphology.gignoRelated word or term.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.