High School Biology Class Chapter 20 – Kingdoms High School Biology Class

The Kingdoms of Life Aristotle classified all organisms into TWO kingdoms, Plants and Animals. Modern scientists use SIX kingdoms.

Kingdom Monera Archaebacteria and Eubacteria are sometimes combined together into one kingdom called Monera. Together the bacteria kingdoms make up the largest number of living things on Earth. All members are classified as prokaryotes and reproduce by binary fission.

1) Kingdom Archaebacteria Cell type: Prokaryote Cell structure: Cell walls without peptidoglycan Body type: Unicellular Nutrition: Autotrophic or Heterotrophic Example: Methanomicrobium mobile

1) Kingdom Archaebacteria The prefix “archae” means “ancient." Modern Archaebacteria may be directly descended from the first organisms on Earth. They are unicellular prokaryotes with distinctive cell membranes that lack peptidoglycan.

1) Kingdom Archaebacteria Some are autotrophic, but most are heterotrophic. Many Archaebacteria live in harsh environments such as sulfurous hot springs, very salty lakes, and in anaerobic environments, such as the intestines of mammals. Hot Springs

2) Kingdom Eubacteria Cell type: Prokaryote Cell structure: Cell walls with peptidoglycan Body type: Unicellular Nutrition: Autotrophic or Heterotrophic Example:Bacillus subtilis

2) Kingdom Eubacteria The prefix “eu” means “true.“ They are unicellular prokaryotes that have cell membranes that contain peptidoglycan. Eubacteria are both autotrophs and heterotrophs. Eubacteria are most often the bacteria (germs) that affect your life such as those involved in tooth decay or food poisoning.

2) Kingdom Eubacteria

3) Kingdom Protista Cell type: Eukaryote Cell structure: Varies Body type: Unicellular or Multicellular Nutrition: Autotrophic or Heterotrophic Example: Euglena gracilis

3) Kingdom Protista Referred to as “The Catch-All Kingdom” Organisms are placed here more because of what they are not than what they are. 

3) Kingdom Protista The Kingdom Protista contains all eukaryotes that are not plants, animals, or fungi. There are more than 50,000 species in the kingdom which include unicellular and a few multicellular eukaryotes like Euglena and Amoebas.

4) Kingdom Fungi Cell type: Eukaryote Cell structure: Cell walls with chitin Body type: Unicellular or Multicellular Nutrition: Heterotrophic Example: Penicillium notatum

4) Kingdom Fungi Fungi are eukaryotes and most are multicellular. The cells of fungi have cell walls that contain a material called chitin.

4) Kingdom Fungi These organisms are heterotrophic and obtain nutrients by releasing digestive enzymes into a food source. They then absorb their food after it has been digested by the enzymes. Fungi act either as decomposers or as parasites in nature and include molds, mildews, mushrooms, and yeast.

5) Kingdom Plantae Cell type: Eukaryote Cell structure: Cell walls with cellulose Body type: Multicellular Nutrition: Autotrophic Example: Pinus radiata (pine tree)

5) Kingdom Plantae Plants are eukaryotic, multicellular and carry out photosynthesis. The cells of plants have cell walls, that contain cellulose.

5) Kingdom Plantae Plant cells are specialized for different functions, such as photosynthesis, transportation of materials, and support. Plants include mosses, ferns, gymnosperms (cone-bearing plants) and angiosperms (flowering plants).

6) Kingdom Animalia Cell type: Eukaryote Cell structure: NO cell walls Body type: Multicellular Nutrition: Heterotrophic Example: Loxodonta africana (elephant)

6) Kingdom Animalia Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic and heterothophic. Animal cells have no cell walls.

6) Kingdom Animalia Most members of the Animal Kingdom can move from place to place. Although some are permanently attached to surfaces such as sponges and barnacles. Animals include fish, insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals (including humans).

Kingdom Relationships The kingdom development is thought to look something like shown below:

Any Questions? “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” --Henry Ford “Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.” --Skinner