Chapter 1 · Biology
Why Every Organism Needs One Name
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Aam, mango, maamidi: one fruit, many names, and one word robin for two different birds. With about 1.8 million species, science needs one name per organism.
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Key points
- Local names change from place to place: one fruit is aam, mango, maamidi, aamba and maavu.
- One common name can also mean different organisms: the robin of Europe and the robin of America are different species.
- About 1.7 to 1.8 million species have been described.
- A scientific name is the same worldwide and belongs to only one organism.
- Mango is Mangifera indica everywhere in the world.
Common and scientific names
| Common name | Scientific name |
|---|---|
| Mango | Mangifera indica |
| Human | Homo sapiens |
| European robin | Erithacus rubecula |
| American robin | Turdus migratorius |
Quick quiz
3 questions. Choose an answer for each, then submit to see your score and the explanations.
