In binomial nomenclature, which statement is true?

• A. A combination of the generic (genus) and family name.
• B. The first and second names are always lower-case letters.
• C. A combination of the generic (genus) and species name.
• D. The genus name is always capitalized, and the species name begins with a lower-case letter.

Answer: (C)

Binomial nomenclature uses a two-part, italicized name consisting of the genus name and the species epithet. The genus identifies the broader group, while the species epithet distinguishes the species within that genus. The conventional formatting capitalizes the genus and lowercases the epithet, as in Homo sapiens. Therefore, the true statement is that the name is a combination of the genus and the species name, forming the two-part scientific name for a species.

The other ideas miss key points: using the family instead of genus mixes taxonomic levels; both names lower-case would fail to reflect the genus capitalization; and while it's true that the genus is capitalized and the epithet is lowercase, the complete and precise description is the two-part genus–epithet name.