Domains and Kingdoms

Images, from left to right: Cholera bacteria, Volvox colony, Strep bacteria

THE DOMAINS A domain is the broadest level in the classification of life.

All living organisms belong to one of 3 domains:

ARCHAEABACTERIAEUKARYA

Do you remember which one you belong to?

I. ARCHAEA

Domain Archaea contains one kingdom – also named Archaea.

Comes from a Greek word meaning “ancient.” In fact, the last common ancestor of all life on Earth may have been archaea – that’s how old they are!

Archaea are Prokaryotic (does not have a nucleus) and unicellular.

Archaea are often found in extreme environments where other life cannot survive. For example, these extremophiles can be found in extremely hot, cold, salty, oxygen-free and/or acidic environments such as in hot springs, volcanic environments, salt lakes or in the guts of animals.

Archaea - continued

Archaea have cell walls that are unique and do not

contain peptidoglycan like bacteria do.

Metabolism (how they get their energy):

Some are lithotrophs (inorganic matter like Sulphur or ammonia)

Some are phototrophs (using light – but not for photosynthesis)

Some are organotrophs (organic matter – including gut-dwelling)

3 MainTypes of Archaea:

o Thermophiles – live in above boiling temps

o Halophile – salt concentration 5 times greater than the ocean

o Methanogens – produce methane gas as a byproduct of metabolism

Archaebacteria reproduce asexually by binary fission, budding or

fragmentation.

II. BACTERIA

Domain Bacteria contains one kingdom – also

named Bacteria (Eubacteria).

Bacteria are prokaryotic.

Bacteria are microscopic,unicellular organisms.

There are more bacteria in our bodies than

there are cells in our body!

Bacteria - continued

Bacteria have cell walls made of peptidoglycan

Bacteria get their nutrition in a variety of ways:

Photoautotrophs

Photoheterotrophs

Lithotrophs

Organotrophs

Bacteria reproduce asexually through binary fission (as

quickly as every 10 minutes!)

Bacteria - Continued

Bacteria have 3 main shapes: spherical

(coccus), rod (bacillus), and spiral (spirilla).

III. EUKARYA

Are eukaryotic (cells have a nucleus).

The 4 Kingdoms found in this Domain are:

Plantae

Animalia

Fungi

Protista

Kindom Protista

All Protists are eukaryotic and most can MOVE!

Most are single-celled; some are simple, multi-cellular

organisms; some are colonial.

Protists reproduce asexually or sexually

Some protists are animal-like (protozoa); some are plant-

like (algae); some are both (euglena); some are fungus-like

(slime molds).

Protista – continued

Animal-like protists are heterotrophic (or parasitic), lack a

cell wall, and can move by using a flagellum, cilia, or

pseudopod.

Plant-like protists photosynthesize and produce O2.

Plant-like protists have cell walls made of cellulose or

silica (diatoms).

Plant-like protists may be single-celled (algae, diatoms,

dinoflagellates) or multi-cellular (brown, green, red algae,

kelp, aka, seaweed).

Plant-like Protists

Animal-like Protists

Protista - cotinued

Fungus-like protists can be single-celled, multi-celled, or

plasmodial (one mass of cytoplasm with many nuclei).

Fungus-like protists are saprotrophic – absorb nutrients

from dead/decaying matter (decomposers)

Fungus-like protists can reproduce asexually or sexually

and release spores –similar to fungus.

Cell walls are composed of cellulose (like plants – not

chitin like fungus)

Slime molds and Water Molds

Kingdom Fungi

All Fungus are eukaryotic.

Fungus can be single-celled (yeast) or multi-cellular

(mushroom).

Fugus break down and absorb nutrients from their

surroundings (heterotrophic / saprotrophic).

Fungus do not photosynthesize or move.

Kindom Fungi - continued

Fungus reproduce asexually through spores, budding,

fragmentation or fission; or sexually.

Fungal cell walls are composed of chitin (a polysaccharide

that is also found in the exoskeleton of insects).

Kingdom Plantea

Plants are eukaryotic and multicellular

Plants have cell walls made of cellulose

Plants make their own food (autotrophic) through

photosynthesis.

Plants reproduce asexually or sexually.

Kingdom Animalia

Animal cells are multi-cellular, eukaryotic and contain a

cell membrane – not a cell wall.

Animals have special senses that allow them to respond

to their environment.

Animals can usually move – some, like sponges, have very

limited ability to move.

Animals feed off of other life forms (heterotrophic).

Do you remember….

In which domain would you find an organism

catagorized that lives in the Great Salt Lake in Utah?

Archaea

In which domain would you find the E. coli bacteria?

Bacteria

How many Kingdoms are in the domain Eukarya?

4

Can you name them?

Protista, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia

Do you remember…

How do plants get nourishment?

Photosynthesis

Name 2 characteristics of plant cells.

1. Eukaryotic 2. Cell wall

What 3 other organisms are Protists similar to?

Plants, animals and/or Fungus

Are protists eukaryotic or prokaryotic?

Eukaryotic

Are fungus single-celled or multi-cellular?

They may be either

How do animals get nourishment?

By consuming other living things