Scientific Names

• Types of Domains


  • Eukarya – All organisms that contain a nucleus. (Plants, Animals, Fungi)
  • Archaea – Single celled prokaryotic organisms without nucleus. (Halophiles, Methanogens)
  • Bacteria – Similar to archaea, Unicellular and does not have a nucleus. (Bacillus, Staphylococcus)
• Types of Kingdoms


  • Animalia (Tigers, Humans, Monkeys)
  • Plantae (Trees, Flowers, Grass)
  • Protista (Protist, Algae, Amoebozoa)
  • Fungi (Mushrooms)
  • Monera (Cocci, Bacilli)
• Subdivisions of Monera


  • Archaebacteria
  • Eubacteria
• Naming Organisms

  • Carl von Linne (Carolus Linnaeus) – Swedish biologist that started naming organisms
  • Consists of 2 or 3 words, contains the organism's genus or species
• Procyon lotor


  • Racoon
  • Pro = early
  • Cyon = dog
  • lotor = swimming
• Tamias minimus


  • Least Chipmunk
  • Tamias = animal who catches food
  • minimus = smallest
• Pithecophaga jefferyi


  • Philippine Eagle
  • Pithecus = monkey
  • phaga = eating
  • jefferyi = commemorate Jeffery Whitehead
• Rafflesia philippensis


  • Parasitic Plant
  • Rafflesia = Sir Stamford Raffles
  • philippensis = from the Philippines
• Puma concolor – Couga
• Thomomys bottae – Botta’s Pocket Gopher
• Pituophis catenifer annectens – Gopher Snake
• Otospermophilus beecheyi – California Ground Squirrel
• Euphorbia lathyrism – Caper Spurge
• Parastratiosphecomyia stratiosphecomyioides – Southeast Asian Soldier Fly
• Ia io - Great evening bat (Asia)
• Yi qi - a scansoriopterygid dinosaur (China)
• Spongiforma squarepantsii - Fungus (Malaysia)
• Trimeresurus salazar - pit viper (India)
• Binburrum moltres - an Australian beetle