Which part of binomial nomenclature is the first part of the scientific name?

• A. Second part of the scientific name in binomial nomenclature
• B. First part of the scientific name in binomial nomenclature
• C. A group of closely related species
• D. A taxonomic rank above family

Answer: (B)

In binomial nomenclature, the first part of the two-part scientific name is the genus name. This genus is a group of closely related species and is always capitalized. The second part is the species epithet, which identifies the specific species within that genus. For example, in Homo sapiens, Homo is the genus. The first part of the name thus indicates the broader grouping of related species, which is why the correct description is that the first part of the scientific name denotes the genus. The other ideas describe either the second part (the species epithet) or a higher taxonomic rank, so they don’t describe the first part.