Final answer:
Scientific names are written using binomial nomenclature, consisting of capitalized genus and lowercase species names, both in italics. The system guarantees a unique two-word Latin name for each species, facilitating global scientific communication.
Step-by-step explanation:
To write scientific names, we use the binomial nomenclature system, which includes two key components: the genus name and the species name. An example of this naming system is Homo sapiens, where Homo represents the genus and sapiens identifies the species. In this format, the genus name is always capitalized and the species name is not, with both names typically set in italics in printed materials. This system, introduced by Carolus Linnaeus, ensures that each species has a unique, globally recognized two-word Latin name.
When referring to an organism after its full scientific name has been mentioned, an abbreviated form can be used. For instance, Escherichia coli becomes E. coli. This taxonomy convention is standard in scientific literature to simplify repeated reference to the same organism.