Taxonomy
 Part I

(Classification of Living Things)

All living things are made up of one or more cells. 
Cells are alive. 
They take in food, grow, and reproduce.

To make living things easier to study, scientist divide them into groups, or kingdoms, based on their characteristics.

 

Animal Kingdom

Plant Kingdom

Fungi Kingdom

Moneran Kingdom

Protist Kingdom
The animal kingdom is studied in the field of  Zoology.  Animals usually move around and find their own food.

Plants are studied in the field of Botany. Plants make their own food and do not actively move around.

 The kingdom of fungus and molds is studied as Mycology. These organisms absorb food from living and non-living things. Cool, shady, moist climates help fungi thrive. This kingdom consists of organisms that have single, simple cells. Bacteria are part of this group.

This kingdom contains organisms that have single, complex cells: amoebae, microbes, green seaweeds, (algae).

Each kingdom is then split into several different groups based on what they have in common. As each group is split into smaller groups, the organisms are more and more alike.
Click here to learn more about these smaller groups.