Five Kingdom Classification

Five Kingdom Classification

• Organisms range from single-celled microorganisms to large plants and animals.
• Diversity in organisms is studied by grouping them according to increasing similarity, starting with the simplest.
• Categories of diversity are species, genus, family, order, class, phylum and kingdom.

Species

• Species is the lowest category of classification.
• Members of a species can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
• All members of a species have similar characteristics.

Mule

• A mule is a hybrid between a donkey and a horse.
• Mules are sterile and cannot reproduce.

Higher Categories

• Genus: Similar species belong to the same genus.
• Family: Similar genera belong to the same family.
• Order: Similar families belong to the same order.
• Class: Similar orders belong to the same class.
• Phylum: A phylum is the largest division in animal classification.
• Kingdom: The kingdom is the highest level of biological classification.

Five Kingdom Classification

• Monera: Includes bacteria and blue-green bacteria. They are single-celled prokaryotes. Lack a nucleus.
• Protista: Includes single-celled eukaryotes such as amoeba, paramecium and euglena.
• Fungi: Includes multicellular eukaryotic organisms such as mushrooms, yeast and bread mould.
• Plantae: Includes plants. They are multicellular, eukaryotic, and autotrophic (produce their own food).
• Animalia: Includes animals. They are multicellular, eukaryotic and heterotrophic.

Other Important Terms

• Binomial Nomenclature: A system of naming organisms using two names - genus and species names.
• Prokaryotic: A type of cell that does not have a nucleus or other membrane-bound organelles.
• Eukaryotic: A type of cell that has a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.
• Autotrophic: Organisms that make their own food (e.g. plants).
• Heterotrophic: Organisms that consume other organisms for food (e.g. animals).
• Saprophytic: Deriving nutritional needs from dead or decaying matter (e.g. fungi).