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The six kingdoms include: Archaebacteria, Eubacteria, Protista, Fungi, Animalia, and Plantae
Six kingdoms? Aren't there other ways of looking at life?Keep in mind that biological classification can vary depending on the scientist and the branch of study. There is no single way of viewing life. If you can show the reliability of your model, then it is legit until shown to be otherwise. I currently like the six-kingdom model that builds on the work of Linnaeus and gives homage to scientists such as Robert Whittaker and Carl Woese. | Kingdom | Kingdom Characteristics | | Phyla | Example or Defining Quality | | Archaebacteria | Single cell organisms where the cells are 'prokaryotic' or do not have a nucleus (i.e., a body that contains genetic material). Some can live in a variety of environments including high temperatures, extreme pressure, and a range of pH levels. They are non-pathogenic. Reproduction through binary fission. Cannot survive in oxygen. | | Halophiles | present in fermented salty foods | | Thermoacidophiles | thrive in hot springs (sulphur, high temp, acidic pH) | | Methanogens | present as the methane produced during flatulence | | Eubacteria | Also 'prokaryotic', they are also called 'true bacteria'. They cannot survive in extreme conditions, unlike Archaebacteria. Both helpful and harmful species exist within this kingdom. When you hear 'bacterial infection', these are the bacteria doing the damage. Classification is not uniform in this Kingdom. Some phyla are accepted or named, and then the remainder are differentiated either according to shape or gram staining. | | Cyanobacteria | Aquatic and photosynthetic. | | Spirochetes | Includes those responsible for syphilis and Lyme disease. | | Gram-positive | Misnomer - not all are gram positive. Includes bacteria that produce yogurt, strep throat, and several antibiotics. | | Proteobacteria | Large and diverse group that includes bacteria that cause salmonella and H. pylori problems. | | Further classification is done using gram staining. | | Protista | Protists are structurally diverse and eukaryotic (cells contain a nucleus). Essentially it is a catch-all kingdom for those organisms that don't fall under any of the other ranks. There are three agreed-upon divisions within the kingdom, but the actual number of phyla varies. I list 12 here, but won't go into detail. | Algal or Plant-Like
Euglenophyta
Chrysophyta
Pyrrophyta
Chlorophyta
Rhodophyta
Phaeophyta | Protozoa or Animal-Like
Ciliophora
Mastigophora
Sarcodina
Sporozoa | Fungus-Like
Myxomycetes
Oomycota | | Fungi | Fungi usually live in symbiosis with other organisms, often recycling dead matter and providing nutrients. Food is digested outside the body, and reproduction occurs through the release of spores from its fruit (mushroom). | | Ascomycota | Sac Fungi | | Basidiomycota | Club Fungi | | Deuteromycota | Imperfect Fungi | | Mycophycophyta | Lichens | | Zygomycota | Conjugation Fungi | | Animalia | There is wide disagreement about how many phyla there are in Kingdom Animalia. The range is from 7 to 38, according to the sources I've looked at. In general, animalia members possess multiple eukaryotic cells, they cannot produce their own sustenance, and they require oxygen. Explore where bees, wasps and hornets fit into the six kingdoms system. | | Plantae | See Plantae in detail... |
Methods of Classifying Eubacteria Shape Shape is a relatively simple way of differentiating between groups of bacteria. There are three main shapes:  | Spherical (coccus/cocci)
Example: Streptococcus, the bacterium that causes strep throat |  | Rod-Shaped (bacillus/bacilli)
Example: Bacillus anthracis, the bacterium that causes anthrax |  | Spiral-Shaped (spirillum/spirilla)
Example: Spirillum minus, the bacterium that causes a form of rat-bite fever |
Gram Stain Bacteria can be differentiated based on their cell wall structure. Bacteria whose cell walls contain a layer of sugars and amino acids called peptidoglycan will retain the purple colouring of a dye, or stain, applied to the cell. These are known as 'gram positive'. Those bacteria that do not retain the stain are called 'gram negative' and they show up as pink. (Note: Gram refers to Hans Christian Gram, the scientist who discovered the method.) Conclusion: Whether you subscribe to a model that uses six kingdoms or not, or whether the model even uses the term 'kingdom', what is important is the reliability of the system.
--- Return to Bees Alive! home from The Six Kingdoms Return to Biological Classification System from The Six Kingdoms
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Recommended Reads:
Archaea: Salt-Lovers, Methane-Makers, Thermophiles, and Other Archaeans
Bacteria: Staph, Strep, Clostridium, and Other Bacteria
Protists: Algae, Amoebas, Plankton, and Other Protists
Fungi: Mushrooms, Toadstools, Molds, Yeasts, and Other Fungi
 Animals: Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians, Fish and Other Animals
 Plants: Flowering Plants, Ferns, Mosses, and Other Plants
Direct Smear Atlas: A Monograph of Gram-Stained Preparations of Clinical Specimens
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