HESI A2 Science Practice Test 2025 – Complete Exam Prep

The specific scientific name of an organism is identified using the genus and species classifications. This system, known as binomial nomenclature, was developed by Carl Linnaeus. The genus is the first part of the name and provides the broader category that the organism belongs to, while the species is the second part that identifies the specific organism within that genus.

For example, in the scientific name *Homo sapiens*, *Homo* represents the genus, and *sapiens* denotes the species. This two-part naming system helps to avoid confusion and allows for a standardized way of identifying organisms across different languages and regions.

In this context, options involving "Family," "Order," "Kingdom," and "Class" refer to broader taxonomic ranks that categorize organisms but do not specifically identify them in the same precise manner as the genus and species do.