The Five (Six) kingdoms of living things

Image source

Years ago, living things were classified into two kingdoms, is Animalia and Plantae. Things placed under the Animalia kingdom were things that moved, ate, and grew to a certain size, while things that did not move or eat but continued to grow throughout their lives were placed under the Plantae kingdom. As time changed, scientists began to see new characteristics in some of the living things making it difficult to continue classifying them as animals or plants. In the past century, scientists decided to expand from the two kingdoms to five and move to six from new changes in the living things.

The five (six) kingdoms of living things

• Monera
• • Archaebacteria
• • Eubacteria
• Protista
• Fungi
• Plantae
• Animalia

Living organisms are classified under this kingdom based on similarities in characteristics such as cell type, nutrient acquisition, and reproduction.

• Cell type (prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell)
• Nutrient acquisition ( photosynthesis, absorption, and ingestion)
• Reproduction (asexual and sexual reproduction)

Archaebacteria

Archaebacteria are prokaryotes single-cell bacteria that fall under the Archaea domain. Archaebacteria are originally known as bacterias with unique ribosomal RNA types. These class organisms have a cell wall that permits life in an area of extreme conditions such as hot water. Some species can be found in the guts of animals and humans.

Domain: Archaea
Organisms: Methanogens, halophiles, thermophiles, and psychrophiles
Cell Type: Prokaryotic
Metabolism: Some species will need oxygen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, sulfur, or sulfide for metabolism
Nutrition Acquisition: Absorption, non-photosynthetic photophosphorylation, or chemosynthesis
Reproduction: Asexual reproduction (such as binary fission, budding, or fragmentation).

Eubacteria

Eubacteria are classified as the true bacterias as they can live in any environment. Eubacteria are often associated with a disease, but not all-cause diseases in plants and animals. Eubacteria are microscopic organisms that compose the human microbiota, which also helps to ensure human bodies function normally. Eubacteria are of various shapes with distinct bacterial cells such as round, spiral, and rod.

Image source cyanobacteria

Domain: Bacteria
Organisms: Bacteria, cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), and actinobacteria (Blue green algae cyanobacteria)
Cell Type: Prokaryotic
Metabolism: In some species oxygen may be toxic, tolerated, or needed for metabolism
Nutrition Acquisition: Absorption, photosynthesis, or chemosynthesis
Reproduction: Asexual

Protista

Protista is a diverse group of organisms with some having the characteristics of animals(protozoa) and others having that of plants(algae). This organism has a nucleus covered by a membrane with organelles called mitochondria (found in animal cells) and chloroplast (found in plant cells. Protists under the plant characteristics are capable of photosynthesis, some are parasitic pathogens to animals and humans causing disease, while others have a mutual relationship with their host.

Image source Amoeba microscopic image

Domain: Eukarya
Organisms: Amoebae, green algae, brown algae, euglena, and slime molds
Cell Type: Eukaryotic cell
Metabolism: Oxygen is needed for metabolism
Nutrition Acquisition: Absorption, photosynthesis, or ingestion
Reproduction: Mostly asexual, and meiosis occurs in some species

Fungi

Fungi are both unicellular (yeast) and multicellular(mushroom) organisms that are not capable of photosynthesis. These organisms are used to recycle nutrients into the environment as they decompose organic matter and get nutrients through the process of absorption. Some fungal contain toxins that are deadly to animals and humans, while others are beneficial (used in the production of penicillin)

Image source Mushroom

Domain: Eukarya
Organisms: Mushrooms, yeast, and molds
Cell Type: Eukaryotic
Metabolism: Oxygen is needed for metabolism
Nutrition Acquisition: Absorption
Reproduction: Sexual or asexual(spore formation)

Plantae

Plantae is the most important kingdom of organisms to all life as plants provide oxygen, shelter, clothing, food, and medicine for other living organisms. Plants are broken into vascular, nonvascular, flowering, nonflowering, seed-bearing, and non-seed-bearing plants. Plants are photosynthetic organisms and provide life support for most food chains.

Image source Green plant

Animalia

all animal organisms fall under the kingdom Animalia and have multicellular eukaryotes cells. Animals depend on plants and other organisms for nutrition acquisition by the process called ingestion. Animals range in sizes from tiny(tardigrades) to large (whale). Some live in an aquatic environment while others do not. Reproduction in animals is by the union of the male and female gametes to produce offspring.

Image source Turtles

Domain: Eukarya
Organisms: Mammals, amphibians, sponges, insects, worms
Cell Type: Eukaryotic
Metabolism: Oxygen is needed for metabolism
Nutrition Acquisition: Ingestion
Reproduction: Sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction in some

Summary

Living things are categorically divided into five (six) major kingdoms, Moneral has about 10000 species which are divided into Archaebacteria and Eubacteria which are unicellular and colonial. Protista has about 250,000 species and is unicellular macroscopic. Fungi are about 100,000 species., Plantae has about 250,000 species and over 1,000,000 species under the kingdom Animalia.