The third super-category is Domain Eukarya. This is a huge Domain that includes all eukaryotic life forms. Each organism in this Domain have eukaryotic based cells that have a true nucleus, DNA and membranous organelles. Organisms within can be Unicellular (some Protists and yeasts), Colonial (some Protists) or Multicellular (most Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia) organisms. Whereas some can be motile (ability to move around) or non-motile. Certain organisms either reproduce asexually or sexually while others do a bit of both. In order to consume food and energy, certain members of this Domain will synthesize their own (autotrophic) or hunt down and consume another living thing (heterotrophic). This Domain divides into 4 smaller sections called Kingdoms. Within each Kingdom there are 7 levels of classification. They go in the order: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species. The Domain Eukarya arose from the first prokaryotic organisms more than 1.7 billion years ago. All organisms in this Domain are prominent all over the earth, as they can be found underwater or on land, in many different biomes. 5 examples of some of the organisms found in this Domain are: Horses, Mushrooms, Diatoms, Roses and Mold.
The second Domain is Eubacteria. This Domain includes most of the prokaryotes and all of the bacteria that we are familiar with. Unlike Archaebacteria these organisms need oxygen to survive as they are aerobes. They are members of the prokaryotes as they lack a nucleus and membrane based organelles. Their cell walls contain peptidoglycan and their DNA is unique to Eubacteria. All members are microscopic and found in moderate environments, as they are more prominent in middle temperature biomes around the world rather than the blazing hot desert or shivering cold artic. Many of the food products that humans eat every day are because of the work of eubacteria. For example, cheese curds that you may find in poutine that come from the cheesemaking process are a direct result of eubacteria. 5 examples of these organisms are: E.Coli, Y.Pestis, S.Pneumoniae, Green Sulfur Bacteria and Actinobacteria.
In super-category or Domain 1 we have Archaebacteria which include forms of bacteria today that lived in the most extreme conditions such as hot springs and sulfur pools many years ago and even up to the present day. They also contain Methanogens and Halophiles. Members in this Domain are obligate anaerobes which means they do not need air to survive. The cell type of these organisms are prokaryotic as it lacks a nucleus and membranous organelles and are microscopic. They do contain a cell wall but with no peptidoglycan. The DNA is unique to Archae and as stated earlier they can withstand the most extreme environments. A very prominent place for an organism like Archaebacteria may be a sulfur pool or hot spring. Archaebacteria have similarities with prokaryotes and bacteria because they are single celled organisms with no nuclei and cell organelles. 5 examples of some Archaebacteria you might find near you are: Cenarchaeota, Haoarchaea, Euarchaeota, Lokiarchaeota and Taumarchaeota.
Kingdom Protista is the first kingdom of Domain Eukarya. Just like Kingdom Fungi, Protista contain forms of bacteria all throughout its Kingdom. All members in Kingdom Protista are eukaryotic cells which means they have a true nucleus, DNA and membranous organelles. They are also either unicellular or colonial. Unlike Fungi or Plantae, members in this Kingdom are motile as they can move from point A to point B. Protista's are both autotrophic or heterotrophic as they can synthesize their own food or will go out of their way to hunt it down. In order to reproduce most members will reproduce asexually. Members in this kingdom "catch all." Most of these one-celled organisms live in wet places, such as oceans, lakes, ponds, rivers and streams as this is where they are most prominent. There are two groups of protists: protozoa and algae. Protozoa move around in search of food. Algae use sunlight like plants to get their food. 5 examples of some of the organism that are found in this Kingdom are: Slime Mold, Amoeba, Euglena, Diatom and Microalga.
Kingdom Fungi is a much smaller Kingdom certainly in size when you compare it to Animalia and Plantae. Some fungi are microscopic, while others are normal sized such as mushrooms. Just like its fellow Kingdom mates Animalia and Plantae, Fungi contains eukaryotic cells that have a nucleus, DNA and membrane based organelles. Members in this Kingdom are usually uni-colonial or multi-cellular. They have no movement as they are non-motile. You can find a lot of fungi in forests, as this is where they are most prominent. At the death of an organism you will find Fungi decomposing the leftover nutrients, as they are decomposers. Fungi can also be thought of as spore formers. In order for Fungi to reproduce they can either do it asexually or sexually. Most fungi build their cell walls out of chitin. This is the same material as the hard outer shells of insects and other arthropods. Plants do not make chitin. 5 examples of fungi would be: mushrooms, yeast, mold, basidiomycota and Ascomycota.
Kingdom Plantae is both a more similar and different group in contrast to Animalia. In Kingdom Plantae all members are eukaryotic (contain a true nucleus, DNA, and organized organelles) and are multicellular, just like Animalia. The differences between these two are that members in Plantae are autotrophic (create their own food), are non-motile and have a bit of asexual and sexual reproduction. Members of Plantae are most prominent on land but also can live underwater depending on what type of plant organism it is. Plants have chlorophyll , a green pigment necessary for photosynthesis and their cell walls are made sturdy by a material called cellulose. Examples of some of the members you may find in this kingdom are: roses, river ash, daffodils, lilac and pacific dogwood.
All over the world, there are billions and billions of living organism living in different ecosystems. To keep track of these organisms scientists have discovered a method to organize all species of organisms into two different categories. Scientifically, these categories are called Kingdoms and Domains. Domain is the first category which is commonly known as the "super category" whereas kingdoms are further broken down into four sub-categories called, Protists, Fungi, Animalia and Plantae.
Animali is a distinct group with different characteristics than the other kingdoms. For example, most of the members in kingdom Animalia are heterotrophic which means they have to hunt and consume food because they are incapable of creating their own unlike plants (photosynthesis). Animalia also needs a male's sperm to fertilize a female's eggs in order to produce viable, fertile offspring to the next generation. This means they are Sexual organisms unlike certain bacteria that are Asexual. Being Sexual means kingdom Animalia requires a partner to reproduce . One of the most important characteristics Animalia requires is that its members are Anaerobic Organisms. This means they need air to live and can survive in an oxygenated environment. Without this trait, almost all Animalia would be dead. Kingdom Animalia are all multi-cellular organisms, meaning they are not single celled like certain types of bacteria. These cells are Eukaryotic and are more complex than other cells as they have a true nucleus and contain DNA. Most, if not all members of Animalia are motile organisms having arms, legs, fins, tails, etc to help them get from one place to another. There are about 9-10 million Animalia organisms on earth but only 800,000 have been identified by scientists. Most of these animals are more prominent on land, but lots are found underwater. Animals like dolphins and sharks are always found in oceans. A couple more examples of organisms that would be apart of this family are: horses, sheep, tigers, giraffes and wolves. |
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