Monospecificity
Encyclopedia
In zoology
, "monospecific" is an adjective
describing a genus
which contains only one known species
. The term comes from the Greek
prefix "μονο-" meaning "single" and Latin "species
" meaning "kind" or "type". It is thus of hybrid origin.
Of the genera described in zoology, there are more monospecific genera than genera with any other individual number of species. Nevertheless, many genera originally considered monospecific, have been discovered to contain more than one species. Examples include Malapterurus
the electric catfish and Loxodonta
the African elephant. On the other hand, there are cases such as Pseudorinelepis
where after an initial flurry of species descriptions a genus turns out to be monospecific.
In botany
, "monotypic
" or "unispecific" are used instead of "monospecificity" to refer to a taxon (at any rank) that includes only one species. "Monotypic" is also used in zoology, but with a different meaning.
In immunity
, ""monospecific" refers to the operation of the immune system that B cell
and T cell
will only recognize a specific antigen
and will not bind to another.
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
, "monospecific" is an adjective
Adjective
In grammar, an adjective is a 'describing' word; the main syntactic role of which is to qualify a noun or noun phrase, giving more information about the object signified....
describing a genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
which contains only one known species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. The term comes from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
prefix "μονο-" meaning "single" and Latin "species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
" meaning "kind" or "type". It is thus of hybrid origin.
Of the genera described in zoology, there are more monospecific genera than genera with any other individual number of species. Nevertheless, many genera originally considered monospecific, have been discovered to contain more than one species. Examples include Malapterurus
Malapterurus
Malapterurus is a genus of catfishes of the electric catfish family . It includes sixteen species.-Distribution:The genus Malapterurus is found throughout western and central tropical Africa and the Nile River...
the electric catfish and Loxodonta
Loxodonta
African elephants are the species of elephants in the genus Loxodonta , one of the two existing genera in Elephantidae. Although it is commonly believed that the genus was named by Georges Cuvier in 1825, Cuvier spelled it Loxodonte...
the African elephant. On the other hand, there are cases such as Pseudorinelepis
Pseudorinelepis
Pseudorinelepis genibarbis is a species of the Hypostominae subfamily of the Loricariidae catfish family. P. genibarbis is distributed throughout the Upper Amazon River basin.-Taxonomy:...
where after an initial flurry of species descriptions a genus turns out to be monospecific.
In botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
, "monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
" or "unispecific" are used instead of "monospecificity" to refer to a taxon (at any rank) that includes only one species. "Monotypic" is also used in zoology, but with a different meaning.
In immunity
Immunity (medical)
Immunity is a biological term that describes a state of having sufficient biological defenses to avoid infection, disease, or other unwanted biological invasion. Immunity involves both specific and non-specific components. The non-specific components act either as barriers or as eliminators of wide...
, ""monospecific" refers to the operation of the immune system that B cell
B cell
B cells are lymphocytes that play a large role in the humoral immune response . The principal functions of B cells are to make antibodies against antigens, perform the role of antigen-presenting cells and eventually develop into memory B cells after activation by antigen interaction...
and T cell
T cell
T cells or T lymphocytes belong to a group of white blood cells known as lymphocytes, and play a central role in cell-mediated immunity. They can be distinguished from other lymphocytes, such as B cells and natural killer cells , by the presence of a T cell receptor on the cell surface. They are...
will only recognize a specific antigen
Antigen
An antigen is a foreign molecule that, when introduced into the body, triggers the production of an antibody by the immune system. The immune system will then kill or neutralize the antigen that is recognized as a foreign and potentially harmful invader. These invaders can be molecules such as...
and will not bind to another.