Taxonomy

Introduction

Taxonomy is a field in biology which involves the classification, identification and naming of organisms in an organised manner. To illustrate, all organisms in the world can be categorised into 6 kingdoms, based on types of cells, number of cells and types of nutrition.

Linnaeus Hierarchy System

The Linnaeus hierarchy system classifies organisms according to hierarchy, starting from species to domain.

Binomial Nomenclature System

The formal system of naming organisms practised today is called the Linnaeus binomial system

• Each scientific name consists of 2 words: the first word is the name of genus, the second word is the name of the species.
• The first letter of the genus is capitalised while the name of the species is not.
• All scientific names must be printed in italics. If handwritten, the two names must be underlined separately.

Some Examples

When you are reading product label of herbal supplements, you may come across their Latin botanical name. Below are some examples.

• Bilberry = Vaccinium myrtillus
• Black cohosh = Actaea racemosa, Cimcifuga racemosa
• Bitter Melon = Momordica charantia
• Cranberry = Vaccinium macrcarpon, Vaccinium oxycoccos
• Dandelion = Taraxacum officinale
• Evening primrose oil = Oenothera biennis
• Feverfew = Tanacetum parthenium
• Garlic = Allium sativum
• Ginkgo = Ginkgo biloba
• Ginseng = Panax quinquefollius, Panax ginseng, Eleutherococcus senticosus
• Green tea = Camellia sinensis
• Hawthorn = Crataegus monogyna
• Milk thistle = Silybum marianum
• Pomegranate = Punica granatum
• Saw palmetto = Serenoa repens, Serenoa serrulata, Sabal serrulata
• St. John's Wort = Hypericum perforatum
• Turmeric = Curcumin, Curcuma longa
• Valerian = Valeriana officinalis