Previous Year Question
Which one of the following organisms is scientifically correctly named, correctly printed according to the International Rules of Nomenclature and correctly described?
A.
A. Musca domestica — the common house lizard, a reptile
B.
B. Plasmodium falciparum — a protozoan pathogen causing the most serious type of malaria
C.
C. Felis tigris — the Indian tiger, well protected in Gir forests
D.
D. E. coli — full name Entamoeba coli, a commonly occurring bacterium in the human intestine
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
Plasmodium falciparum is a protozoan pathogen responsible for the most severe form of malaria. Its scientific name is also correctly written, with the generic name beginning with a capital letter and the specific epithet beginning with a small letter.
Musca domestica is the common housefly, not a house lizard. The correct scientific name of tiger is Panthera tigris, and Gir forest is mainly associated with the Asiatic lion. E. coli stands for Escherichia coli, not Entamoeba coli.