When assigning a scientific name to an organism, which of the following conventions is correctly followed?

• A. The genus name is capitalized and the species name is lowercase, both italicized.
• B. The species name is capitalized and the genus name is lowercase, both italicized.
• C. Both the genus and species names are capitalized and italicized.
• D. Both the genus and species names are written in uppercase letters without italics.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the scientific naming of organisms follows the binomial nomenclature system, which uses two names: the genus and the species.
2. Recall that the genus name is always capitalized to indicate the broader group to which the organism belongs.
3. Remember that the species name is always written in lowercase to specify the exact organism within the genus.
4. Both the genus and species names should be italicized to indicate their Latin origin and scientific significance.
5. Combine these rules to correctly write a scientific name: capitalize the genus, lowercase the species, and italicize both.