Biological Classification and Kingdom Monera

The process of grouping and categorizing living organisms based on shared characteristics.

Early attempts to classify organisms were primarily based on observable features (morphology) and practical uses (food, shelter).

A very early attempt to scientifically classify organisms was carried out by Aristotle using morphological characters to categorize plants into trees, shrubs, and herbs, and animals into those with or without red blood.

A system of classifying living things into two kingdoms: Plantae and Animalia. It's a simple way to group plants and animals.

The two-kingdom system wasn't effective because it didn't account for differences in cell structure and other important characteristics.

This is an important difference in cell structure, an important factor in the evolution of classification.

These systems are more sophisticated, considering numerous factors like cell structure, mode of nutrition, habitats and more.

Broad categories used to group organisms based on shared characteristics.

Bacteria are the only organisms in this kingdom.

Bacteria come in coccus, bacillus, vibrio, and spirillum forms.

Bacteria live practically everywhere, including extreme environments.

Some bacteria make their own food from inorganic substances.

Most bacteria get food from other organisms or dead matter.

A type of bacteria that lives in extreme environments like hot springs and salty areas.

A type of bacteria, includes 'true bacteria' and cyanobacteria.

Photosynthetic bacteria similar to green plants.

Protists are eukaryotic organisms that are primarily aquatic and form a link between the kingdoms of plants, animals, and fungi. They have a well-defined nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.

Chrysophytes are a group of Protists that include diatoms and golden algae. They are microscopic, photosynthetic organisms found in freshwater and marine environments.

Diatoms have unique cell walls composed of two overlapping shells, like a soapbox. These shells are made of silica, making them indestructible.

Diatomaceous earth is a gritty soil formed from billions of years of accumulated diatom cell walls. It's used for polishing and filtration.

Dinoflagellates are mostly marine, photosynthetic protists with stiff cellulose plates on their cell walls. They have two flagella and can appear in various colors.

Red tides occur when dinoflagellates rapidly multiply, causing the sea to appear red. They can release toxins that harm other marine animals.

Euglenoids are mostly freshwater protists found in stagnant water. They have a flexible pellicle instead of a cell wall and two flagella.

Protists reproduce both asexually and sexually, with sexual reproduction involving cell fusion and zygote formation.

A group of fungi known for producing mushrooms, bracket fungi, and puffballs. They can be saprophytic, parasitic, or live on decaying wood.

Spores produced by basidiomycetes, responsible for their reproduction. They are formed on microscopic club-shaped structures called basidia.

The fruiting body of a basidiomycete, commonly called a mushroom, where the basidia are formed and spores are released.

A group of fungi that are known only in their asexual stage. They are sometimes called imperfect fungi because their sexual stage is unknown.

Asexual spores produced by deuteromycetes, contributing to their reproduction.

Basidiomycetes have a known sexual stage and are recognized by their club-shaped basidia structures that produce spores. Deuteromycetes only reproduce asexually and lack known sexual stages.

This kingdom includes all multicellular organisms that contain chlorophyll, also known as plants. The defining feature is their ability to photosynthesize.

Some plants have adapted to obtain food or nutrients in ways besides photosynthesis. Some trap insects, while others live parasitically on other organisms.

Tiny infectious agents, smaller than viruses, consisting of only RNA without a protein coat. They cause diseases like potato spindle tuber disease.

Infectious agents made of abnormally folded proteins, causing neurological diseases like mad cow disease (BSE) in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans.

Symbiotic relationships between algae (phycobiont) and fungi (mycobiont). The algae provides food through photosynthesis, while the fungi provide shelter and absorb nutrients.

A system proposed by Whittaker that divides living organisms into five kingdoms: Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia. This classification considers cell structure, body organization, nutrition, reproduction, and evolutionary relationships.

Bacteria that produce their own food through processes like photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, using inorganic substances as energy sources.

Bacteria that obtain food by consuming other organisms or decaying organic matter.

Includes diverse single-celled eukaryotic organisms, meaning they have a true nucleus and membrane-bound organelles. Examples include algae, slime molds, and protozoa.

The life cycle of plants alternates between a diploid sporophyte phase (producing spores) and a haploid gametophyte phase (producing gametes).

This kingdom includes multicellular, heterotrophic eukaryotes that lack cell walls. Animals derive their food from plants and digest it internally. They also exhibit complex sensory and nervous systems.

The mode of nutrition for animals, where they ingest food and digest it internally.

Viruses are not considered truly alive because they lack cellular structures and are considered inert crystalline structures outside living cells.

Viroids are infectious agents that are much smaller than viruses. They are composed solely of a single strand of RNA and do not encode any proteins, making them unique.