Kingdom of Life Essay

The Kingdom of Monera is the smallest in size in the biological world but are the most in terms of numbers. They can be found almost everywhere on earth. Monerans are the only kingdom of the prokaryotic type, organisms that lack a nucleus. The most common of this kind is the bacteria, which most people know are harmful for it causes illnesses and some degrees of food poisoning. The division of a single bacterium into two similar daughter cells constitutes the bacterial growth. This process is called binary fission which in turn promotes its population to grow exponentially. Bacteria are said to be the first inhabitants of Earth. Protozoa, fungus-like protists and the algae are the major categories under the kingdom of Protista. Members are categorized as colonial, unicellular or multi-cellular. Organisms under this kingdom are all eukaryotic, meaning they all have a true nucleus. Most undergo mitosis for their growth while some by meiosis and fertilization for their reproduction process. All organisms live in a water-based environment. Network forming which is called mycelia is the common process in which members of the kingdom of fungi grow. Fungi cause diseases in plant like smuts and rusts, while severe damage are from stem root and leaf rots. Most common in humans are athlete’s foot and ringworm among others. Animal diseases are very hard to treat because of its genetic and chemical similarity to fungi. Harmful as they may seem, some fungi members play significant roles in the ecological system. Some plants can’t grow without fungi. Breakthroughs in medicine are synthesized from fungi while others are used for food. The environment can not take form without plants. Humans can’t live without them. That is how important the kingdom of plantae is to our planet and to our lives. Said to lived 360 million years ago, plants vary in sizes, from very small kind to tall huge trees. Plants reproduce asexually and grow with the help of external factors. They are the only living organisms that are able to produce their own food through photosynthesis. Members of the kingdom Animalia are all heterotrophs. Animals, for their sustenance and survival, depends on other organisms around them. All organisms of the kingdom are eukaryotic and multicellular. Animals reproduce sexually through their special cells which when united form the zygotes that later grow into a new individual. The first recorded phyla of this kingdom was a marine specie some 542 million years ago. References: Windows Team, (1998, December 17). Windows to the Universe.    Retrieved, September 27, 2008 from, http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/life/monera.html Carter, Stein J., (2004, November 3). SC Links.    Retrieved, September 27, 2008 from, http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio106/protista.htm