����ý

The classification of organisms down to species level follows a particular order:

1. Kingdom
2. Phylum
3. Class
4. Order
5. Family
6. Genus
7. Species

The binomial system will use the organism’s genus and species to create its name. This avoids the confusion which could occur by using common names which differ from region to region. Scientists know the binomial system is universal and Latin is used to name organisms.

Classification of a tiger

This table shows the classification of a tiger.

Therefore the binomial classification of a tiger is Panthera tigris. The genus name comes first and can sometimes be abbreviated to just the first letter (P. tigris) which is always a capital letter. The species name follows and begins with a lower case letter. The whole name is written in italics.

Organisms which are not the same species but share a genus name are closely related, eg the binomial classification of a lion is Panthera leo. Organisms are only the same species if both the genus and species name are the same.