1.2.5

Other Kingdoms

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Fungi, Protoctists and Bacteria

Fungi and protoctists are eukaryotic organisms, but bacteria are prokaryotes.

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Fungi

  • Fungi cells have cell walls (that contain a substance called chitin) and no chloroplasts.
  • Fungi can be multicellular or unicellular and they are saprotrophic (they feed by secreting digestive enzymes and absorbing broken down decaying matter), and often store carbohydrates as glycogen.
  • Their bodies are made up of mycelium, which contains many thread-like structures called hyphae.
  • Mushrooms and single-celled yeast are examples.
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Bacteria

  • Bacteria are unicellular and they have cell walls and circular loops of DNA (which is not inside a nucleus).
  • Some bacteria photosynthesise, and some feed off decaying matter.
  • Bacteria can be rod-shaped (like Lactobacillus which turns milk into yoghurt)or spherical (like Pneumococcus which causes pneumonia).
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Protoctists

  • Protoctists are unicellular, and their cells have nuclei (membrane-bound structures that contain the cell's genetic materials).
  • Some, like Amoeba, are similar to animal cells. Some, like Chlorella, are like plant cells and have chloroplasts.

Jump to other topics

1The Nature & Variety of Living Organisms

2Structure & Functions in Living Organisms

3Organism Functions

3.1Respiration

3.2Gas Exchange

3.3Transport

3.4Excretion

3.5Coordination & Response

4Reproduction & Inheritance

5Ecology

6Biological Resources

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