Answer
The binomial system of nomenclature is a system of naming species of living things with distinguishing names that comprise two parts-- a generic epithet and a specific epithet ( trivial name). The generic epithet describes the genus and the specific epithet describes the species. The system is called binomial because each species is identified/described by two names. Binomial comes from the Latin prefix "bi" which means two, and the Latin root "nom," or "nomen" which means name. So this is the two names system of classification. Latin terms were used because in Linnaeus' lifetime and until the the early 20th century, Latin was the language of higher education in the sciences as well as in the arts
Work Step by Step
The names of the taxa in the binomial system of nomenclature are Latinized names ;
thus for human beings the classification is as follows
Kingdom -------Animalia
Phylum--------Chordata
Class-----------Mammalia
Order-----------Primates
Family----------Hominidae
Genus-----------Homo
Species---------Homo sapiens (italicize)
When species names like Homo sapiens are typed, they are usually italicized or underlined. "Homo" is the generic epithet, and "sapiens" is the
specific epithet( formerly called the trivial name). Names of taxa higher than species begin with upper case letters, but the names are not italicized or underlined. However, when species names are written, the generic epitet begins with a capital letter ; the specific epithet begins with a lower case letter and both terms are italicized or underlined.
