Question

Why do we use specific terminology when referring to the gender and species of common domestic animals?

Answer 1

Answer:

To know which exact organism you are referring to, and there is no confusion about it.

Explanation:

To identify organisms, we usually use two names. The common name and the scientific one.

Scientific name: binomial nomenclature.

The scientific name designates a species through binomial nomenclature. The binomial nomenclature is a standard agreement used to identify different organisms. It has international validity, and it does not change among regions or languages. One binomial name is used only on one organism and can not repeat.  It is composed of two Latin words: gender and the specific name. Many species might share the same gender for being very similar, so the specific name is used to identify each species.

Common names:

These are informal names, determined by the people of a region or area, that speak the same language. They are regional names, so they change from region to region, even when referring to the same organism. Usually, these names designate only organisms that have importance for the people. The same name might refer to different organisms, and in many cases, the same organism might receive many names. For this reason, there might be confusion when using only common names to talk about a species.

If we need to refer to a particular organism, we should always use the scientific name to avoid confusion. As it is internationally recognized and accepted, anybody can know which species you are talking about, independently of the region or the language. In most cases, people mention a species using the scientific name together with many of its common names.