Kingdoms of Life

• Kingdoms of living organisms

  • Animalia
  • Plantae
  • Fungi
  • Protoctista
  • Prokaryote
• Biologists in general recognise five kingdoms of living organisms
• Prokaryote

  • Unicellular organisms (made up of one cell)
  • Circular DNA
  • Cell wall made of murein
  • No nucleus
  • No membrane-bound structures
• Prokaryotes


  • Bacteria
• Protoctista

  • Mostly aquatic
  • Unicellular (except seaweeds which are multicellular)
  • Has nucleus
  • Has membrane-bound structures
  • Some have cell wall that contains chlorophyll
• Protoctista examples


  • Paramecium
  • Amoeba
  • Sea lettuce
• Fungi


  • Can be unicellular or multicellular
  • Cells have nucleus
  • Cell wall made of chitin
  • Do not have chlorophyll
  • Some feed on decaying matter, some are parasitic
• Fungi examples


  • Bracket fungi
  • Mushrooms
  • Mould
• Plants

  • Multicellular organisms
  • Cells have nucleus
  • Cell wall made of cellulose
  • Large central vacuole
  • Contain chlorophyll to make food by photosynthesis
• Plants examples

  • Ferns
  • Flowering plants
  • Monocotyledons
  • Dicotyledons
• Animals

  • Multicellular organisms
  • Cells have nucleus
  • No chlorophyll or cell wall
  • Obtain energy and nutrients by feeding on other organisms
• Animals


  • Arthropods (invertebrates)
  • Vertebrates
• Classification provides information on evolutionary relationships
• Binomial system of naming species


  System for naming species using two names - genus and species
• The five kingdoms are Prokaryotes (including bacteria), Protoctista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia