6 KINGDOM

CLASSIFICATI
ON
ARCHAEBACTERIA
EUBACTERIA
PROTIST
FUNGI
PLANT
ANIMAL
Archaea Domain:
Kingdom Archaebacteria
•Organisms that belong to this
kingdom are all microscopic. They
live in various places, some even in
severe environments.
•Methanogens, Halophiles and
Thermophiles are examples of
Archaebacteria
•Do you know that methanogens can survive in places where there
is no oxygen? Some members of this group inhabit digestive tracts
of animals and ponds where animal, human and domestic wastes
are treated(Figure 1).
•Methanogens are also present on bottoms of lakes, swamps and
rice fields. An important characteristic of this group is they
produce methane gas. If you live near rice paddies and swamps the
bubbles that pop at the water surface is methane.
•Methane is utilized as biogas, a cheap alternative source of
energy. There are already communities and industries which
obtain energy for their lighting and cooking fuel needs from the
biogas technology.

•If you live in areas which make salt, have you observed the
orange or yellow color in salt ponds? This is due to the presence
of Halophiles. These archaebacteria are adapted to very salty
environments. Examples are Haloccocus dombrowski and
Halobacterium salinarum.
•Halophiles, which
are microorganisms
that thrive in salty
environments, live
in salt lakes, saline
soils, salt pans,
mines, and the
Dead Sea. They
can also be found in
salted food
products.
•Figure 2 below are examples of Thermophiles. This group of
archaebacteria can live in places with high temperature. These areas
include volcanic hot springs with temperatures from 80 to 110°C.
They also inhabit the small deep sea openings where hot water with
temperatures higher than 250°C come out. Thermophiles turn
hydrogen sulfide (H2S) released from these openings to food for
other organisms and in turn are provided essential nutrients by the
former.
Bacteria Domain:
Kingdom Eubacteria
•Members of eubacteria are unicellular and microscopic. They are
referred to as the true bacteria and are usually called the
"bacteria" group. Their cell walls are made of peptidoglycan, a
carbohydrate.
•Bacteria consist of a very diverse group. They have varied
shapes (Figure 3). They can be found in almost all kinds of
places, in soil, water and air. Some are present in raw or spoiled
food; others live in or on other organisms including your body.
You must have known that they also cause disease and harm to
other organisms. But most importantly, bacteria have a variety of
uses for the environment and for humans.
•Bacteria are classified according to shape as shown in Figure 3.
Also notice that cocci (sing. coccus), are differently arranged.
They can form pairs (diplococcus), chains (streptococcus), or
clusters (staphylococcus). Bacilli can also occur in chains
(streptobacillus).
•Are you aware that when your oil glands swell and result to
pimples, they are infected with the bacterium Propionibacterium
acnes? A lot of human diseases are caused by bacteria.
Tuberculosis, one common disease in the Philippines, is caused
by bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Have you heard about leptospirosis? Leptospirosis is a bacterial
infection due to exposure to the spirochete bacterium, Leptospira
interrogans. These bacteria are present in the urine and tissues of
cattle, pigs, horses, dogs, rats, and wild animals. It has been found
out that the largest number of leptospira bacteria are in the urine of
rats. Anybody can be infected through contact with water, soil, food
and vegetables that are contaminated with urine of these animals. The
bacteria enter the body through cuts in the skin or surfaces of the eyes
or nose. It is important for you to know that the disease is preventable
and treatable with antibiotics.
Bacteria also cause diseases in animals. Bacillus anthracis is
responsible for the disease called anthrax. The bacterium is found in
the soil and can survive for many years. The disease affects animals
like cows and carabaos but can be transmitted to humans. Skin
anthrax occurs in the Philippines through contact with animal tissues
or their products. Inhalation and intestinal anthrax caused by inhaling
spores and eating of contaminated or undercooked meat, respectively,
are more deadly. It is strongly advised to refrain from eating meat of
dead animals suspected to have died of anthrax. In the early 2000's
there was a worldwide threat of using anthrax spores to kill people in
what is termed as "biological" warfare.
Antiobiotics are substances that kill or inhibit disease-causing
organisms. Do you know that certain bacteria are used to produce
antibiotics? Streptomycin, an antibiotic used to treat tuberculosis and
certain types of pneumonia is made by Streptomyces griseus.
Streptomyces venezuelae on the other hand produces
chloramphenicol used in killing bacteria that cause typhoid fever and
skin infections.
Escherichia coli is naturally found in the large intestine of humans. It
feeds on partially digested food moving from the stomach to the
small intestines. These bacteria meanwhile provide the much needed
vitamin B12 that otherwise the human body cannot produce. E. coli
however, once present in other areas in the body can produce poisons
causing diarrhea or kidney damage and even death.
Do you know that many of these bacteria are also involved in making
some of the foods or drink you like?
Some bacteria convert cheap materials into useful products such as
food. Examples are Lactobacilli bulgaricus and Streptococcus
thermophilus of the lactic acid bacteria group. These are specifically
involved in making sour milk or yogurt. Yogurt is made by adding a
culture of Lactobacillus bulgaricus present in the starter to skimmed
milk powder. Lactase in the bacteria changes the milk sugar into
lactic acid. When this occurs, proteins in milk curdle which gives
yogurt its semi-liquid texture.
Have you heard about "oil-eating" bacteria?
Some members of eubacteria are able to break down or remove
pollutants through the process of bioremediation. Scientists at
University of the Philippines-Diliman's Molecular Microbiology
Laboratory have identified a number of bacteria which can help solve
the problem of oil spills in oceans and seas through this technology.
These are Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumanii,
Paenibacillus thiaminolyticus, Bordetella bronchiseptica and
Lysinibacillus sphaericus.
Another group of bacteria (Figure 4), the
Cyanobacteria are plantlike because they
have chlorophyll-containing cells. Most
of them are single-celled, some form
filaments, while others form spores.
Cyanobacteria grow in ditches, esteros,
or in moist places like gardens and
sidewalls where light is present. In
Northern Luzon people eat raw Tab-tab
(Nostoc) as salad. Spirulina cells are rich
in protein, thus, have been grown to
produce Single Cell Protein (SCP). It is
used as swine and cattle feed and is also
recommended as food for humans.
Anabaena azollae, another cyanobacterium is important in
agriculture. It converts nitrogen in air into compounds usable by
plants for growth and development. The same is being done by the
Rhizobium group of bacteria. They are present in the root nodules of
legumes.

Certain bacteria, like Bacillus thuringiensis, have been developed

into a microbial pesticide. It is used to control pests and insects
carrying disease-causing organisms.
PROTIST
Members of Kingdom Protista come
from unrelated ancestors. This
grouping is referred to by biologists
as an artificial grouping. The
inclusion of the large number of
unicellular organisms under this
kingdom is just for convenience.
Protists differ in size, movement and
method of obtaining energy. Though
most of protists are microscopic,
some can grow to as high as several
meters.
In terms of method in obtaining energy, protists are classified
into three groups. Phototrophs produce their own food.
Heterotrophs feed on other organisms. This group is also
divided into a group with no permanent part for movement, those
with cilia, and those with limited movement. Others which are
nonmotile and form spores belong to the sporozoan group.
Members of this group are all parasitic.

Phototrophs are like plants in that they have chlorophyll. This

group includes the algae, dinoflagellates, and euglenoids.
Algae may be green, golden,
brown or red. The chlorophyll
in green algae is not masked in
contrast to the other members
of the group.
Green algae differ in size and
shape. Some are unicellular;
others form colonies, sheets,
filaments, tubes and ribbons
(Figure 5). Some green algae are
edible. The marine green algae
Caulerpa lentillifera is eaten
fresh as salad.
Golden algae (Figure 6) cells also contain chlorophyll but is
masked by yellow pigments. Members of this group are mostly
microscopic. They store food in the form of leucosin oil or
chrysolaminarin.
Brown algae are the largest of the algae species. Giant kelps, a
member of this group can grow to more than 30 meters in length.
This group of algae store carbohydrate in the form of laminarin.
Do you know that brown algae have something to do with your
favorite ice cream or toothpaste? Some members of the group
contain alginic acid used as an ingredient in making these two,
including candy and cream cosmetics.
Leaflike and bubblelike structures called bladders are present in
brown algae. They float near the water surface where light is
present.

What is the importance of bladders in brown algae?

•Bladders, also called pneumatocysts, in brown algae are important
because they act as gas-filled structures that provide buoyancy,
allowing the photosynthetic parts of the algae to float closer to the
water surface for optimal sunlight absorption and photosynthesis.
Have you heard eaten gozo? Eucheuma muricatum (Figure 8) or
kanot-kanot, another name for gozo, is a member of the red algae
group. The group differs from the rest of the algae by storing food
in the form of floridean starch. As their name suggests, red
pigments mask their chlorophyll.
Red algae can change color depending on whether they are
exposed or hidden from light. When they are exposed to light, they
are bright green in color. If they grow without much light, they are
colored red. Members of the group consist of both microscopic and
large multicellular organisms. Most of them are found in marine
waters.
There are species in the group that help form coral reefs because of
their ability to produce calcium carbonate. Economically, E.
muricatum is useful being a source of agar and carageenan. If you are
fond of eating gulaman, note that it comes from agar. Eucheuma
farming has become a source of livelihood in certain areas in Central
Visayas and Mindanao. Likewise, Gracilaria salicornia (Figure 8) is
an agar source and edible too.

Why is light important to algae?

Light is crucial for algae because it serves as the primary energy
source for photosynthesis, a process where algae convert light energy
into chemical energy to grow and survive
Most members of Dinoflagellates live in oceans and seas. They are
mostly unicellular. Some occur as single organisms, while others
form colonies. An important dinoflagellate to know is Pyrodinium
bahamense var. compressum (Figure 9). They are the ones that cause
"red tide" when present in large numbers. During red tide, people
should not eat clams and mussels in the affected areas. This is
because these organisms might have fed on the dinoflagellates which
produce toxins and cause paralysis of the diaphragm that can lead to
death.
What is the danger of eating clams when red
tide occurs?
• eating clams during a red tide can be dangerous because of
the risk of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). PSP can be
life-threatening.

• Symptoms of PSP - tingling, burning, numbness, drowsiness,

respiratory paralysis, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, headache,
and abdominal cramps.

• How soon do symptoms appear? - Symptoms of PSP usually

appear within 2 hours of eating contaminated seafood. In
healthy people, symptoms usually disappear within a few
days.
• Whatcauses PSP? - PSP is caused by saxitoxin, a potent toxin
produced by toxic dinoflagellates that cause red tides.
The euglenoids are microscopic and unicellular. Euglena belongs to
this group. It lives in freshwater bodies. Organisms of this group
have a whiplike flagellum for movement. Some euglenoids have
chlorophyll.
Euglena has an interesting characteristic of getting food. When light
is available to, it makes food utilizing chlorophyll. In the absence of
light, it absorbs nutrients from dead organic matter.
Heterotrophs with no permanent structure for movement include
the radiolarians, foraminiferans and amoeba (Figure 10). They move
by means of the pseudopods or pseudopodia. Notice the extensions
at the sides of these organisms. These temporary extensions are
formed when changes in the cytoplasmic concentration occur within
the cell. This change causes the cell membrane to contract and
enable the organism to make a creeping movement. Pseudopods
may form as they are needed.
Entamoeba histolytica is a harmful species of amoeba living in
freshwater bodies. If present in underground water, it can
contaminate drinking water. Once this happens, the gastrointestinal
tract is infected causing amoebiasis. If the protist invades the
intestinal lining it leads to amoebic dysentery. Proper sanitation must
be practiced to ensure clean and safe drinking water.

Another heterotroph, the paramecium, moves using the cilia

attached to parts or all over its body. The ciliate group are free-living
and present in both fresh and salt water. They also use the cilia to get
food. Other examples are the Didinium and Vorticella.
Slime and water molds are motile in a certain stage in their life
cycles. Thus, they are considered to be heterotrophs with limited
movements. Slime molds are usually the colored yellow, orange, or
whitish growths that you may see on damp rotting logs. They feed
on bacteria and decaying plant material in the same manner as an
amoeba does. Water molds are white cottony growths on dead fish
or plant parts that you might see floating in water. Certain species
of water molds are parasitic on corn, grapes cabbage and many
other important crops.
Members of the sporozoan group as mentioned earlier cannot move
on their own. They may be free-living and parasitic. Some like four
species of Plasmodium are harmful for they cause malaria, a
serious disease in humans. This malaria-causing sporozoan is
transmitted to humans by Anopheles mosquito. In the Philippines
malaria is still constantly present in certain areas.
Another group of heterotrophs include the flagellates. They are
unicellular and they use one or many of their threadlike flagella to
move. Some of them exist as single organisms though others form
colonies. There are parasitic and free-living flagellates. Two
important species to study are Giardia lamblia and Trypanosoma
gambiense (Figure 11a) because they affect humans. G. lamblia
cause severe diarrhea, while T. Gambiense is responsible for
Gambian sleeping sickness.
Trichonympha (Figure 11b) is beneficial to other organisms. It
lives in the intestine of termites. Since termites cannot digest the
wood that they eat, Trichonympha do it for them. Termites in turn
give them a home and food to eat.
FUNGI
•Youmust have seen the orange colored growth on spoiled corn, the
gray to black or white spots on a three-day old bread left in a warm
and humid or moist place. Or the kabuti, that your father gathered
from the woods and yeast used in making bread. All these are fungi.
•You first encountered the eukaryotic fungi in Grade 7. You have also
learned that they have no chlorophyll thus, cannot produce their own
food. Some are parasites, because they survive by living on a host
organism. Others feed on decaying matter and are called
saprophytes. Fungi also have cell walls but are made up of chitin.
•Fungi undergo asexual reproduction by forming buds and many
spores. Actually, the black thing you see in fungi are spores in
large numbers. These spores are abundant in the environment as
they are carried easily by wind, water, animals, or humans. When
spores land in areas suitable for their growth, new fungus
develops.
Fungal bodies consist of hyphae with rootlike rhizoids that attach
them to the substrate on which they grow. Hyphae absorb and
provide nutrients to the fungi by extending downward into the
substrate. Fungi also reproduce sexually when male and female
hyphae join together.
Fruiting structures extend upward where spores are produced. Fungi
are classified according to the kind of fruiting structures they form
(Figure12). In bread mold Rhizopus, spores are produced in the
sporangium.
PRESENTED BY: DWIGHT S.
PALACIOS
REFERENCES
• GRADE 8 SCIENCE BOOK
• IMAGES (INTERNET)