Variety of Living Organisms

Variation Among Living Organisms

There are over 8 million different species of living organisms on Earth, grouped into five kingdoms: Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia.
The variety of life is defined as the diverse nature of different living organisms found in a particular area or the whole planet.

The Five Kingdoms

The Monera kingdom includes all prokaryotic organisms. These are the smallest and simplest of all organisms and do not have a true nucleus. Bacteria are examples of monerans.
The Protista kingdom includes all eukaryotic organisms which are not classified in any other kingdom. Protists are mostly unicellular and include organisms such as amoebae and paramecia.
The Fungi kingdom includes multi-cellular decomposers and parasites. The most common examples are mushrooms, yeasts and moulds.
The Plantae kingdom includes multi-cellular autotrophs that use photosynthesis to produce nutrients. This kingdom includes all kinds of plants, from mosses to trees.
The Animalia kingdom includes multi-cellular heterotrophs that consume other organisms to obtain nutrients. This kingdom includes a wide variety of organisms, from insects to mammals.

Classifying Organisms

Scientists use a system called taxonomy to classify organisms. This system allows scientists to identify, organise and compare organisms based on their similarities and differences.
The taxonomic hierarchy starts with the broadest classifications and gets narrower as you move down the hierarchy. The hierarchy goes as follows: Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.
Two organisms that share the same genus name are more closely related than those that only share the same family or order.
The final two ranks (genus and species) form the organism’s scientific name. This name, also known as a Latin binomial, is used all over the world regardless of the language in use.

The variety of living organisms on earth is immense, and the study of this diversity is a cornerstone of biology. Understanding the nature and variety of living organisms requires understanding the key features that define life, as well as the various ways in which these characteristics can manifest.