Biological Classification
Kingdom Monera belongs to the prokaryote family. The organisms belonging to this kingdom do not contain a true nucleus. These are the oldest known microorganisms on earth. They are unicellular organisms found mostly in a moist environment,in hot springs, snow, deep oceans, or as parasites in other organisms.
Features of kingdom monera:
1. Unicellular organisms (except one mycelium group)
2. Genetic material: naked coiled DNA
3. Nucleus & cytoplasmic organelles absent
4. Cytoplasmic organelles: both types of ribosomes, simple chromatophores
5. Mode of nutrition: absorptive, photosynthetic and chemosynthetic
6. Motility: Sedentary, simple flagellar or gliding
7. Bacterial nutrition: autotrophic and heterotrophic
8. Forms: cocci, bacilli, vibrio, spirullium, filaments, budded, stalked.
Protists are a diverse collection of organisms that do not fit into animal, plant, bacteria or fungi groups. Protists are eukaryotes as they possess a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles (structures that perform a specific job).
features of kingdom protista:
1. unicellural organisms
2. primarily aquatic
3. link between plants,animals & fungi
4. well defined nucleus & membrane-bound organelles
5. reproduction: asexual & sexual
6. mode of nutrition : photosynthetic,holotrophic & mixotrophic
7. Major protits groups :chrysophytes, dinoflagellates,protozoans (amoeboid,flagellates,sporozoans,ciliates),euglenoids,slime moulds.
Fungi can be single celled or very complex multicellular organisms. They are found in just about any habitat but most live on the land, mainly in soil or on plant material rather than in sea or fresh water.
features of kingdom fungi:
1. thallus organisation: mycellal,non-mycellal
2. cell organization: made of chitin & cellulose
3. cell wall: cellulose-glycogen,cellulose-chitin or polygalactosamine-galactan
4. nutrition: parasitic,sapropytic,symbiotic
5. reproduction:vegetative,asexual and sexual
6. classification: phycomycetes,ascomycetes,basidiomycetes,deuteromycetes
virus : not truly living pieces
1. genetic material : DNA or RNA
2. nucleprotein & genetic material
3. capsid protects nucleic acid
viroids: lack protein coat
1. smaller than virus
2. RNA has low molecular weight
lichens: symbiotic associations
1. symbiosis between algae & fungi
2. algal component: phycobiont
3. fungal component : mycobiont
