Genus

Genus is a rank in the biological classification (also known as taxonomy) that groups together closely related species. This rank is above species and below family. The plural of genus is genera.

Definition

A genus is a class of items that have common attributes and are designated by a common name. In the context of biology, a genus is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms. The genus name is always capitalized and italicized, and is preceded by the species name when referring to a specific species.

Role in Taxonomy

In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial species name for each species within the genus. For example, the genus Panthera includes species like Panthera leo (the lion) and Panthera tigris (the tiger).

Examples

Examples of genera include Canis (which includes dogs and wolves), Quercus (which includes oaks), and Micrococcus (a genus of bacteria).

See Also

• Species
• Family
• Taxonomy
• Binomial nomenclature

References

Genus Resources
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