Domain Archaea
The first step of classifying organisms is to determine what Domain it is in. There are three domains; Archaea , Bacteria, and Eukarya. Domain Archaea are microscopic, prokaryotic cells, so they are very small and have no true nucleus, the DNA is just spread throughout the cell. Their DNA is also unique to Archaea, so they are genetically different from the other domains. They have a cell wall, but it doesn't contain peptidoglycan, so it isn't very rigid. They are obligate anaerobes, so they don't require oxygen to survive. Because they can survive with little or no oxygen, Archaea are often found in very harsh environments such as sulfur ponds and hot springs. Some Archaea make their own food, which is called autotrophic, and some obtain energy by consuming food, which is a heterotroph. Examples of Archaea are crenarchaeota, which live in extreme temperatures and acidities, methanogens produce methane as a product of living in areas with a low oxygen level, halobacteriaceae live in areas of very high salinity, thermophiles live in extremely hot environments, and lastly, Psychrophiles are found in extremely cold environments.
Domain Bacteria
Domain Bacteria contains bacteria which are mostly prokaryotic and single celled. They have peptidoglycan in their cell wall so it is more rigid than organisms in Archaea, and they are genetically different from the other domains. They live in moderate environments, in contrast to the extreme environments of Archaea. Bacteria are also both heterotrophic and autotrophic. There are three common shapes of bacteria, coccus(spherical), bacillus(rod), and spirilla(Spiral). Examples of Bacteria include Streptococcus, which causes strep throat in humans as well as other sicknesses, Escherichia coli is found in the intestines of animals and humans, and is moslty harmless, but can also cause sickness, Yersinia pestis which causes the bubonic plague, Borrelia burgdorferi causes Lyme disease, and finally Staphylococcus causes infections on the skin of humans.
Domain Eukarya
Domain Eukarya is by far the largest domain, and it contains all of the organisms with eukaryotic cells, which means their cells are more complex and have a true nucleus. Eukarya is a hugely diverse domain and it is divided into four main kingdoms; Protista, Animalia, Plantae, and Fungi, as well as other categories Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and then Species.
Kingdom Protista
Kingdom Protista contains mostly unicellular organisms, but there are also some multicellular organisms. They are able to move, so they are motile. They are also either heterotrophic or autotrophic, based on the category they are in. They are found in many places throughout the earth, mostly in moderate environments and lots in water. And they reproduce mostly asexually. Protista are divided into three categories; Protozoa, which are animal like and obtain energy by ingesting food. This category includes Amoebas and Paramecia. Algae protists are plant like and obtain energy by photosynthesis. Examples include algae and seaweed. Lastly, Fungus-like protists absorb nutrients from their environment. Examples include slime molds and water molds.
Kingdom Animalia
Kingdom Animalia is a very diverse kingdom, as it ranges from animals with a few cells, to animals that weigh many tons. All animals are multicellular and often these cells are organized into tissues which each have specific functions. Most animal's cells are also diploid, which means that there are two copies of genetic material in each cell, one from each parent. Animals are motile which means they are capable of moving on their own with more complex movements than plants and other organisms. They are heterotrophic, so animals get energy by consuming nutrients. The largest group of animals is the insects by a large margin, making up 70 percent of all animals. Animals are found almost anywhere on Earth. Examples of animals include sea sponges, spiders, humans, birds, and fish.
Kingdom Fungi
Kingdom Fungi consists of mostly multicellular organisms, but there are single celled Fungi such as yeasts. Although Fungi may look and act like plants, they are actually more related to animals than they are to plants. Fungi don't make their food like plants, they are heterotrophic. They sit on top of their food and release enzymes to break down, or decompose that food, and then absorb the broken down food. Fungi reproduce by releasing spores that will form new Fungi in a different place. And they are not motile so they are not able to move on their own. Fungi are found in most places throughout the world, especially in tropical areas where there is lots of water, and less in dry areas. And most terrestrial fungi is underground, with smaller portions above ground. Examples of Fungi include Penicillium, which is the base of the medication penicillin, yeasts, which can be used for baking, molds such as Rhizopus appear on old bread and fruit, mushrooms, which usually grow from soil or trees, and lastly truffles which grow underground and are a delicacy to eat.
Kingdom Plantae
Kingdom Plantae is composed of multicellular organisms whose cells contain a cell wall made of cellulose that gives the cell structure and rigidity. Plants have a distinct green colour due to the presence of chlorophyll in the cells. Plants use chlorophyll in the process of photosynthesis, which converts energy from the sun, into energy for the plant. Because they use photosynthesis and make their own food, they are autotrophic. Plants are fixed in one place, so they cannot move and are non motile. They are found pretty much anywhere on Earth, mostly on land but also in water. Plants are an extremely important organism, and if it weren't for them animals wouldn't be alive. Plants provide food for the animals, as well as produce oxygen for the animals to breathe. Examples of plants are mosses, pine trees, grasses, flowering plants, and ferns.
The first step of classifying organisms is to determine what Domain it is in. There are three domains; Archaea , Bacteria, and Eukarya. Domain Archaea are microscopic, prokaryotic cells, so they are very small and have no true nucleus, the DNA is just spread throughout the cell. Their DNA is also unique to Archaea, so they are genetically different from the other domains. They have a cell wall, but it doesn't contain peptidoglycan, so it isn't very rigid. They are obligate anaerobes, so they don't require oxygen to survive. Because they can survive with little or no oxygen, Archaea are often found in very harsh environments such as sulfur ponds and hot springs. Some Archaea make their own food, which is called autotrophic, and some obtain energy by consuming food, which is a heterotroph. Examples of Archaea are crenarchaeota, which live in extreme temperatures and acidities, methanogens produce methane as a product of living in areas with a low oxygen level, halobacteriaceae live in areas of very high salinity, thermophiles live in extremely hot environments, and lastly, Psychrophiles are found in extremely cold environments.
Domain Bacteria
Domain Bacteria contains bacteria which are mostly prokaryotic and single celled. They have peptidoglycan in their cell wall so it is more rigid than organisms in Archaea, and they are genetically different from the other domains. They live in moderate environments, in contrast to the extreme environments of Archaea. Bacteria are also both heterotrophic and autotrophic. There are three common shapes of bacteria, coccus(spherical), bacillus(rod), and spirilla(Spiral). Examples of Bacteria include Streptococcus, which causes strep throat in humans as well as other sicknesses, Escherichia coli is found in the intestines of animals and humans, and is moslty harmless, but can also cause sickness, Yersinia pestis which causes the bubonic plague, Borrelia burgdorferi causes Lyme disease, and finally Staphylococcus causes infections on the skin of humans.
Domain Eukarya
Domain Eukarya is by far the largest domain, and it contains all of the organisms with eukaryotic cells, which means their cells are more complex and have a true nucleus. Eukarya is a hugely diverse domain and it is divided into four main kingdoms; Protista, Animalia, Plantae, and Fungi, as well as other categories Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and then Species.
Kingdom Protista
Kingdom Protista contains mostly unicellular organisms, but there are also some multicellular organisms. They are able to move, so they are motile. They are also either heterotrophic or autotrophic, based on the category they are in. They are found in many places throughout the earth, mostly in moderate environments and lots in water. And they reproduce mostly asexually. Protista are divided into three categories; Protozoa, which are animal like and obtain energy by ingesting food. This category includes Amoebas and Paramecia. Algae protists are plant like and obtain energy by photosynthesis. Examples include algae and seaweed. Lastly, Fungus-like protists absorb nutrients from their environment. Examples include slime molds and water molds.
Kingdom Animalia
Kingdom Animalia is a very diverse kingdom, as it ranges from animals with a few cells, to animals that weigh many tons. All animals are multicellular and often these cells are organized into tissues which each have specific functions. Most animal's cells are also diploid, which means that there are two copies of genetic material in each cell, one from each parent. Animals are motile which means they are capable of moving on their own with more complex movements than plants and other organisms. They are heterotrophic, so animals get energy by consuming nutrients. The largest group of animals is the insects by a large margin, making up 70 percent of all animals. Animals are found almost anywhere on Earth. Examples of animals include sea sponges, spiders, humans, birds, and fish.
Kingdom Fungi
Kingdom Fungi consists of mostly multicellular organisms, but there are single celled Fungi such as yeasts. Although Fungi may look and act like plants, they are actually more related to animals than they are to plants. Fungi don't make their food like plants, they are heterotrophic. They sit on top of their food and release enzymes to break down, or decompose that food, and then absorb the broken down food. Fungi reproduce by releasing spores that will form new Fungi in a different place. And they are not motile so they are not able to move on their own. Fungi are found in most places throughout the world, especially in tropical areas where there is lots of water, and less in dry areas. And most terrestrial fungi is underground, with smaller portions above ground. Examples of Fungi include Penicillium, which is the base of the medication penicillin, yeasts, which can be used for baking, molds such as Rhizopus appear on old bread and fruit, mushrooms, which usually grow from soil or trees, and lastly truffles which grow underground and are a delicacy to eat.
Kingdom Plantae
Kingdom Plantae is composed of multicellular organisms whose cells contain a cell wall made of cellulose that gives the cell structure and rigidity. Plants have a distinct green colour due to the presence of chlorophyll in the cells. Plants use chlorophyll in the process of photosynthesis, which converts energy from the sun, into energy for the plant. Because they use photosynthesis and make their own food, they are autotrophic. Plants are fixed in one place, so they cannot move and are non motile. They are found pretty much anywhere on Earth, mostly on land but also in water. Plants are an extremely important organism, and if it weren't for them animals wouldn't be alive. Plants provide food for the animals, as well as produce oxygen for the animals to breathe. Examples of plants are mosses, pine trees, grasses, flowering plants, and ferns.
Fun Facts
-Archaea was not considered a separate from bacteria until 1977
-One gram of dirt can contain as many as 2.5 billion bacteria in it.
-Scientists estimate that the combined weight of Archaea and Bacteria outweigh all other living things combined
-Protozoans evolved into all animal life, and algae Protists evolved into all plant life.
-A Sea Sponge can be passed through a sieve and reassemble and continue to live on the other side.
-The fungus Armillaria bulbosa is around 1500 years old and has grown to 35 acres in size in Michigan.
-A cut or notch in a tree will remain the same distance from the ground as the tree grows.
-Bamboo can grow 35 inches in a single day
-Archaea was not considered a separate from bacteria until 1977
-One gram of dirt can contain as many as 2.5 billion bacteria in it.
-Scientists estimate that the combined weight of Archaea and Bacteria outweigh all other living things combined
-Protozoans evolved into all animal life, and algae Protists evolved into all plant life.
-A Sea Sponge can be passed through a sieve and reassemble and continue to live on the other side.
-The fungus Armillaria bulbosa is around 1500 years old and has grown to 35 acres in size in Michigan.
-A cut or notch in a tree will remain the same distance from the ground as the tree grows.
-Bamboo can grow 35 inches in a single day
A diagram of a eukaryotic Animal cell
A microscopic view of a Protozoa
A Sea Sponge, which is considered to be an animal
Yeast that is used for baking
A tulip, which is a flowering plant