The Diversity of Life | Animalia consists entirely of multicelluar heterotrophs
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Figure 5. A simple phylogenetic representation of three domains of life" Archaea, Bacteria (Eubacteria), and Eukaryota (all eukaryotic groups: Protista, Plantae, Fungi, and Animalia). Image from Purves et al., Life: The Science of Biology, 4th Edition, by Sinauer Associates (www.sinauer.com) and WH Freeman (www.whfreeman.com), used with permission. |
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Table 1. The Five Kingdoms.
Monera (in the broadest sense, including organisms usually placed in the Domain Archaea). Photosynthesis, chemosynthesis, decomposer, parasitic. Single-celled, filament, or colony of cells; all prokaryotic. Monerans play various roles in almost all food chains, including producer,consumer, and decomposer. Cyanobacteria are important oxygen producers. Many Monerans also produce nitrogen, vitamins, antibiotics, and are important compoents in human and animal intestines. Bacteria (E. coli), cyanobacteria (Oscillatoria), methanogens, and thermacidophiles. Protista Photosynthesis, absorb food from environment, or trap/engulf smaller organisms. Single-celled, filamentous, colonial, and multicelled; all eukaryotic. Important producers in ocean/pond food chain. Source of food in some human cultures. Phytoplankton component that is one of the major producers of oxygen Plankton (both phytoplankton and zooplankton), algae (kelp, diatoms, dinoflagellates),and Protozoa (Amoeba, Paramecium). Fungi Absorb food from a host or from their environment. All heterotrophic. Single-celled, filamentous, to multicelled; all eukaryotic. Decomposer, parasite, and consumer. Produce antibiotics,help make bread and alcohol. Crop parasites (Dutch Elm Disease, Karnal Bunt, Corn Smut, etc.). Mushrooms (Agaricus campestris, the commercial mushroom), molds, mildews, rusts and smuts (plant parasites), yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisae, the brewer's yeast). Plantae Almost all photosynthetic, although a few parasitic plants are known. All multicelled, photosynthetic, autotrophs.. Food source, medicines and drugs, dyes, building material, fuel. Producer in most food chains. Angiosperms (oaks, tulips, cacti),gymnosperms (pines, spuce, fir), mosses, ferns,liverworts, horsetails (Equisetum, the scouring rush) Animalia All heterotrophic. Multicelled heterotrophs capable of movement at some stage during their life history (even couch potatoes). Consumer level in most food chains (herbivores,carnivores,omnivores). Food source, beasts of burden and transportation, recreation, and companionship. Sponges, worms,molluscs, insects, starfish,mammals, amphibians,fish, birds, reptiles, and dinosaurs, and people.
Monera, the most primitive kingdom, contain living organisms remarkably similar to ancient fossils. Organisms in this group lack membrane-bound organelles associated with higher forms of life. Such organisms are known as prokaryotes. Bacteria (technically the Eubacteria) and blue-green bacteria (sometimes called blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria) are the major forms of life in this kingdom. The most primitive group, the archaebacteria, are today restricted to marginal habitats such as hot springs or areas of low oxygen concentration.
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