Vernacular and Scientific Names - Practice Questions & MCQ

Vernacular Names:

• These are common names given to organisms in a particular language or region of the world. These are basically regional names of organisms. Vernacular names are usually single word i.e. uninomial.
• Advantages of vernacular names
• They are based on some characteristic of organisms. Thus, they are informative. E.g. dodhak ( due to milky latex)
• They are small, brief, easier to pronounce and remember. 

Disadvantages of vernacular names
Vernacular names are not used by biologists because

• They have no significance ad they are misleading. E.g. Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena), Forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica). 
• Some common names have no meaning. E.g. silverfish, jellyfish, cuttlefish, starfish they are not at all related. Silverfish is not even aquatic.
• Common names cannot be used by scientists all over the world.
• Sometimes a single organism is known by several names in the same language. E.g. water lily hs 81 dutch names, 44 french names and 15 English names. 
• Different names can have opposing meanings in different countries.
• A single name can be used for more than one species. hence, they are confusing. E.g. Touch-me-not is used for both Impatiens balsamifera (Balsam) and Mimosa pudica.

Scientific Names

The name given to an organism according to the norms of standardized authorities is called scientific name. It is given by biologists according to binomial nomenclature. 

Advantages of scientific names

• Every species is given a single specific name.
• There is no possibility of any change in the spelling of a scientific name as they are derived from the Latin language which is considered dead. 
• Scientific names are universal in application. 
• Name establishes a relationship between all the species of a single genus.
• They can be corrected.