Before scientist could classify organism, all organisms were generally called using their common names and these common names were insufficient to called organisms because every region had a particular name for a particular organism. The accepted scheme of classification of was put forward by a Swedish botanist called carolus Linnaeus.

Linnaeus first divides the binomial system of nomenclature in which every species of animal or plant is given two names. The first name is the genus (generic) name is shared by other related species which are considered to be sufficiently similar.

     The second name is the species (specific) name.

The generic or specific name starts with a capital letter, while the species or specific name starts with a small initial letter and both names are underlined separately.

     When the generic or specific name is hand writing or type they are constructed in a Latinized form. And additional precaution is to add the name of the author in bracket after specific name. For example.

Common name: House fly

Specific name: Musca domestica

Additional precaution, musca domestica (Linnaeus)