Classifying organisms to kingdoms
Name __________________________
Period ____ Date ________________
If you know a few characteristics of an organism, it is usually easy to determine to which
kingdom it belongs. The characteristics to consider are:
 Cell type: prokaryotic (simple, no nucleus) or eukaryotic (complex with nucleus;
 Cell structure: some kingdoms have specific chemicals in their cell wall, if they have
one at all;
 Body type: unicellular (one-celled) or multicellular (made of many cells); and
 Nutrition: autotrophic (get their energy directly from the sun) or heterotrophic (must
“eat” for energy).
Use the table and web handout, or page 417 in the text, to determine the kingdom of the
following organisms and answer the questions asked.
1. How many domains are there?
2. How many kingdoms are there?
3. Which is more inclusive, a domain or a kingdom?
4. How do the cell walls of fungi and plants differ?
5. How do the cell walls of archaebacteria and eubacteria differ?
6. Organism A is autotrophic and multicellular. To which kingdoms could it belong
(more than one)?
7. What information would you need to decide which kingdom?
8. Organism B is a multicellular eukaryote that has a cell wall made of chitin. Kingdom?
9. What other kingdom contains multicelluar eukaryotes that never have cell walls?
10.Which kingdoms contain prokaryotes?
11.Algae can either be unicellular (like much pond scum) or multicelluar (like kelp which
is also known as seaweed). Algae undergoes photosynthesis to obtain energy from the
sun, and it has nuclei (plural of nucleus) in its cells. To what kingdom does algae
belong?
12.Protozoa are unicellular organisms that must eat for energy and are eukaryotes. They
often lack cell walls. To which kingdom do protozoa belong?
13.Organism B is a prokaryote. To which kingdoms could it belong?
14.If an organism is unicellular (is made of only one cell), to what kingdoms could it
belong?
15.How could you tell a fungus cell from an animal cell?
16.How could you tell a fungus cell from a plant cell?
17.If an organism were a multicellular heterotroph, to what kingdoms could it belong?
18.To what domain would the kingdoms listed in the last question be assigned?
Domain
Kingdom
Pro- or
eukaryote
prokaryote
Cell
Wall
no
peptidoglycan
peptidoglycan
Body
Nutrition
unicellular
autotroph
heterotroph
unicellular
autotroph
heterotroph
Archaea
Archaebacteria
Bacteria
Eubacteria
prokaryote
Eukarya
Protista
eukaryote
mixed
mostly
unicellular
autotroph
heterotroph
Eukarya
Fungi
eukaryote
chitin
mostly
multicellular
heterotroph
Eukarya
Animalia
eukaryote
none
multicellular
heterotroph
Eukarya
Plantae
eukaryote
cellulose
multicellular
autotroph
Domains and Kingdoms Web
Name _____________________
Thing with some
characteristics of
organisms
cells, etc
Not living: no
cells, no
metabolism, don’t
reproduce
Virus
Organism
themselves.
eukaryotic
Domain
Eukarya
mostly
unicellular
prokaryotic, unicellular
Domain
Bacteria
Domain
Archaea
mostly
multicellular
heterotrophic
or autotrophic
autotrophic
Kingdom
Protista
various types
or no cell wall
Kingdom
Plantae
cellulose
cell wall
peptidoclycan
cell wall
heterotrophic
Kingdom
Fungi
chitin
cell wall
no peptidoglycan
in cell wall
Kingdom
Animalia
no
cell wall
Examples:
Eubacteria: bacteria (heterotrophic) and cyanobacteria (autotrophic, known as blue-green bacteria)
Arcaebacteria: methanogens (live in swamp mud), extremophiles (live in extreme environments)
Protista: algae (autotrophic, including multicellular kelp) and protozoa (heterotrophic, including amoeba)
Plantae: moss, ferns, cone-bearing plants, and flowering plants
Fungi: yeasts, mushrooms, athlete’s foot
Animalia: sponges, corals, worms, insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals including humans
Domains and Kingdoms Web
Name _____________________
Period _____ Date ____________________
Thing with some
characteristics of
organisms
cells, etc
Not living: no
cells, no
metabolism, don’t
reproduce
Virus
Organism
themselves.
prokaryotic,
eukaryotic
Domain
Eukarya
mostly
unicellular
heterotrophic
or autotrophic
mostly
multicellular
autotrophic
heterotrophic
cellulose cell
wall
various types
or no cell wall
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Animalia
Kingdom
Animalia
Kingdom
Animalia
Kingdom
Animalia
Kingdom
Animalia
Kingdom
Animalia
Domain
Bacteria
Domain
Archaea
Domain
Archaea
Domain
Archaea
Domain
Archaea
Domain
Archaea
Domain
Archaea
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Archaebacteria
Kingdom
Archaebacteria
Kingdom
Archaebacteria
Kingdom
Archaebacteria
Kingdom
Archaebacteria
Kingdom
Archaebacteria
Domain
Bacteria
Domain
Bacteria
Domain
Bacteria
Domain
Bacteria
Domain
Bacteria
Domain
Bacteria
Kingdom
Fungi
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Domain
Eukarya
Domain
Eukarya
Domain
Eukarya
Domain
Eukarya
Domain
Eukarya
Domain
Eukarya
peptidoclyca
n cell wall
no
cell wall
chitin cell
wall
Kingdom
Animalia
Kingdom
Fungi
Kingdom
Fungi
Kingdom
Fungi
Kingdom
Fungi
Kingdom
Fungi
Kingdom
Fungi
Organism
Organism
Organism
Organism
Organism
Organism
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Protista
Virus
Virus
Virus
Virus
Virus
Virus
Kingdom
Animalia
Kingdom
Animalia
Kingdom
Animalia
Kingdom
Animalia
Kingdom
Animalia
Kingdom
Animalia
Kingdom
Animalia
Kingdom
Animalia
Kingdom
Animalia
Kingdom
Animalia
Kingdom
Animalia
Kingdom
Animalia
Kingdom
Animalia
Kingdom
Animalia
Kingdom
Animalia
Domain
Archaea
Domain
Archaea
Domain
Archaea
Domain
Archaea
Domain
Archaea
Domain
Archaea
Domain
Archaea
Domain
Archaea
Domain
Archaea
Domain
Archaea
Domain
Archaea
Domain
Archaea
Domain
Archaea
Domain
Archaea
Domain
Archaea
Kingdom
Archaebacteria
Kingdom
Archaebacteria
Kingdom
Archaebacteria
Kingdom
Archaebacteria
Kingdom
Archaebacteria
Kingdom
Archaebacteria
Kingdom
Archaebacteria
Kingdom
Archaebacteria
Kingdom
Archaebacteria
Kingdom
Archaebacteria
Kingdom
Archaebacteria
Kingdom
Archaebacteria
Kingdom
Archaebacteria
Kingdom
Archaebacteria
Kingdom
Archaebacteria
Domain
Bacteria
Domain
Bacteria
Domain
Bacteria
Domain
Bacteria
Domain
Bacteria
Domain
Bacteria
Domain
Bacteria
Domain
Bacteria
Domain
Bacteria
Domain
Bacteria
Domain
Bacteria
Domain
Bacteria
Domain
Bacteria
Domain
Bacteria
Domain
Bacteria
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Domain
Eukarya
Domain
Eukarya
Domain
Eukarya
Domain
Eukarya
Domain
Eukarya
Domain
Eukarya
Domain
Eukarya
Domain
Eukarya
Domain
Eukarya
Domain
Eukarya
Domain
Eukarya
Domain
Eukarya
Domain
Eukarya
Domain
Eukarya
Domain
Eukarya
Kingdom
Fungi
Kingdom
Fungi
Kingdom
Fungi
Kingdom
Fungi
Kingdom
Fungi
Kingdom
Fungi
Kingdom
Fungi
Kingdom
Fungi
Kingdom
Fungi
Kingdom
Fungi
Kingdom
Fungi
Kingdom
Fungi
Kingdom
Fungi
Kingdom
Fungi
Kingdom
Fungi
Organism
Organism
Organism
Organism
Organism
Organism
Organism
Organism
Organism
Organism
Organism
Organism
Organism
Organism
Organism
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Protista
Virus
Virus
Virus
Virus
Virus
Virus
Virus
Virus
Virus
Virus
Virus
Virus
Virus
Virus
Virus
Domains and Kingdoms Web
Name _____________________
Period _____ Date ____________________
Thing with some
characteristics of
organisms
cells, etc
Not living: no
cells, no
metabolism, don’t
reproduce
themselves.
eukaryotic
mostly
mostly
prokaryotic,
autotrophic
various types
or no cell wall
Examples __________
__________
___________
__________
cellulose cell
wall
__________
__________
__________
__________
heterotrophic
chitin cell
wall
no
cell wall
__________
__________
__________
__________
peptidoclyca
n cell wall