Kingdom MoneraAKA bacteria kingdom

Overview• Types of monerans

• Shapes

• Respiration

• Nutrition

• Reproduction

Monera Overview• Kingdom Monera contains the oldest and most

abundant living organisms know on to date

• These single celled organisms group together to form colonies

• Monerans are commonly found in extreme environments where other organisms can’t survive

Types

• Classifications of monerans at higher taxonomy levels is a challenge because they share so many characteristics

• Two main sub kingdoms: archaebacteria and eubacteria

Archaebacteria

• Live in environments without oxygen, usually found in places with high salt content, high temperatures and high acidity

• Extremophiles, thermophiles, methanogens, etc.

Eubacteria

• Live in environments that have oxygen present

• This is the largest group of Monera

Shapes• Cocci or singular shaped

• Bacilli or rod shaped

• Spirilla or spiral shaped

• All of these can group together to form colonies

Respiration• Obligate aerobes - bacteria that requires oxygen

• Obligate anaerobes - bacteria that requires an absence of oxygen

• Facultative anaerobes - bacteria that flourish in either environment

• Facultative and obligate anaerobes undergo fermentation

Nutrition• Heterotrophs - bacteria that take food from other

organisms. Given the term “parasites”

• Heterotrophs - bacteria that take their food from decomposing organisms. Given the term “saprophytes”

• Autotrophs - produce food on their own, either through sunlight (photosynthesis) or chemicals (chemosynthesis)

Reproduction• Monerans

reproduce asexually through a variety of means: binary fission, endospores, conjugation*

Binary fission• Simplified mitosis

• DNA doubles, entire cell splits

Endospores• DNA and cytoplasm is

protected by a hard casing during hard times

• Remainder of the cell disintegrates

• Under favourable conditions, casing dissolves and bacteria emerges fully functioning

Conjugation• A very basic form of

sexual reproduction with cell to cell contact and exchange of specific plasmids

Bacteria Types• Clostridium botulinum - causes lockjaw and

gangrene

• Lactobacteria - causes souring of milk

• Streptococci - strep throat

• Streptomyces - decomposes organic matter

• Rhizobium - processes atmospheric nitrogen