Which of the following statements regarding universal rules of biological nomenclature is incorrect ?

Options

A. The first word in a biological name represents the genus
B. The first word denoting the genus starts with a capital letter
C. Both the words in a biological name, when handwritten, are separately underlined
D. Biological names are generally in Greek and written in italics

Answer

To determine which statement regarding universal rules of biological nomenclature is incorrect, we will evaluate each option systematically.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understand the Question**: We need to identify the incorrect statement about the universal rules of biological nomenclature.

2. **Evaluate the Options**:
- **Option A**: "The first word in a biological name represents the genus."
- This statement is **correct**. In the name "Homo sapiens," "Homo" is indeed the genus.

- **Option B**: "The first word denoting the genus starts with a capital letter."
- This statement is also **correct**. The genus name is always capitalized in biological nomenclature.

- **Option C**: "Both the words in a biological name when handwritten are separately underlined."
- This statement is **correct**. When handwritten, both the genus and species names are underlined separately. If printed in italics, they do not need to be underlined.

- **Option D**: "Names are generally in Greek and written in italics."
- This statement is **incorrect**. Biological names are primarily derived from Latin, not Greek, and they are written in italics when printed.

3. **Identify the Incorrect Statement**: Based on the evaluation, **Option D** is the incorrect statement regarding the universal rules of biological nomenclature.

4. **Conclusion**: The answer to the question is **Option D**.