Classification of Living Things
Living things are classified into a series of hierarchical categories: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species. An important way for scientists to show how living things are related to each other is by classifying living things into these categories. They classify living things into one of the following six kingdoms.
- Bacteria: These are unicellular microorganisms that do not have a nuclear membrane.
- Protists: These are unicellular organisms, usually much larger than bacteria. They can be autotrophic or heterotrophic.
- Archaea: They are prokaryotic forms of life sharing some features with bacteria and other features with eukarya. Archaea comprise only single-celled organisms and are devoid of nuclei.
- Fungi: They are multicellular and dependent on the decomposition of organic matter because they cannot produce their own food.
- Plants: They are multicellular and autotrophic. They use photosynthesis to produce food from sunlight.
- Animals: Animals are multicellular. They are heterotrophs and depend on food from other organisms.
Living Things: Characteristics and Examples
Living Things-Characterstics and Examples: Living things are actually just creatures that interact with their surroundings in order to survive. The only things around us that are alive and breathing are living beings. Living things consume food, develop, reproduce, and eventually perish. A living entity is defined as having a predictable life cycle. ‘Living Things’ is an important topic for the exam. We are learning about Living Things – Characteristics, Classification, What Living Things are made of, and Basic Needs of Living Things. Some frequently asked questions help to understand Living Things better.