What are the two parts of a scientific name in taxonomy?

The two parts of a scientific name in taxonomy are the genus and species. This system, known as binomial nomenclature, was developed by Carl Linnaeus and is used universally to ensure that each organism has a unique and universally recognized scientific name.

The genus is the first part of the name and indicates the group of closely related species. The species is the second part and describes a specific individual species within that genus. For example, in the scientific name Homo sapiens, Homo is the genus and sapiens is the species, together identifying the modern human.

This classification is crucial for the organization of biological diversity and provides a standardized naming system that avoids confusion caused by regional names and common names which can vary widely between languages and cultures.