Biodiversity The variety of life on Earth its

Biodiversity

�The variety of life on Earth, its biological diversity is commonly referred to as biodiversity. The number of species of plants, animals, and microorganisms, the enormous diversity of genes in these species, the different ecosystems on the planet, such as deserts, rainforests and coral reefs are all part of a biologically diverse Earth.

Organisms are classified into three Domains and into one of six Kingdoms of life. These Kingdoms are Archaebacteria, Eubacteria, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia. Organisms are placed into these categories based on similarities or common characteristics. Some of the characteristics that are used to determine placement are cell type, metabolism, and reproduction.

The Six Kingdoms

Animal Kingdom Classified into two: Vertebrates – with backbone Invertebrates - without backbone

Eubacteria Kingdom � Eubacteria are the most commonly found organisms in the world. They are prokaryotic cells, and hence do not have a nucleus. The eubacteria kingdom is one of the six kingdoms in which the entire living world is classified

Plant Kingdom � Plants provide nourishment for our bodies and souls. With the help of protists and fungi, plants provide the oxygen we breathe and the food that sustains us -either directly or indirectly, by feeding other animals.

Fungi Kingdom � Fungi provide a critical part of nature's continuous rebirth: fungi recycle dead organic matter into useful nutrients. Sometimes the fungus doesn't wait for the biomatter to die, in which case the fungus is called a parasite.

Protists Kingdom � The Kingdom Protista are the simplest eukaryotes, yet they represent an incredibly diverse group. Most are unicellular, some are colonial, and other are simple multicellular organisms closely related to single protist cells.

Archaebacteria Kingdom � Archaebacteria are almost as old as the Earth. They came into existence when the Earth was in its nascent stage and the conditions were extreme. Till date, these organisms live in conditions that mimic the extreme ones that were the norm, when the Earth was just beginning to take shape.