* Homo refers to the genus (a broader classification group) that includes humans and our extinct relatives.

* sapiens refers to the species within the genus, meaning "wise" or "thinking."

It's important to note that while we often use "Homo sapiens" to refer to ourselves, the scientific name is actually *Homo sapiens sapiens*. This is because our species is a subspecies of Homo sapiens, the other being Homo sapiens neanderthalensis (Neanderthals).