Download Monera Facts

KINGDOM MONERA
Definition, Etymology, & Pronunciation
Mo·ne·ra [muh-neer-uh]
–noun (used with a plural verb) Biology.
a taxonomic kingdom of prokaryotic organisms that typically reproduce by asexual budding or
fission and have a nutritional mode of absorption, photosynthesis, or chemosynthesis, comprising
the bacteria, blue-green algae, and various primitive pathogens.
Origin:
< Neo-Latin (1869), plural of monēron, coinage based on Greek monḗrēs solitary, single,
derivative of mónos alone, only
Acrostic
Mycroplasmas are found in most instances as intracellular parasites in plants and animals.
Oxygen may be required for some bacteria to survive while it kills others.
Nitrogen, is one of the many micronutrients needed to survive.
Extremely salty environments, such as the Dead Sea is home to Halophiles which are a third type
of archaebacteria.
Reproduction involves the cell making a copy of itself and passing along a DNA molecule to the
offspring.
Archaebacteria is the most ancient organism on Earth.
Monera Facts
Angela M. Morales
Page 1
KINGDOM MONERA
The scientific kingdom Monera is made up of one-celled organisms that most of us refer to as
bacteria. Bacteria are the most plentiful and widespread organism on Earth, and the oldest. They
are different from other organisms because they do not have a nucleus. Various types of bacteria
affect different parts of our environment.
1.
Types
o
There are three types of bacteria, and within those three types are further
breakdowns.
Archaebacteria is the most ancient organism on Earth. The thermoacidophiles are
archaebacteria found in acidic water surrounding sulfur hot springs.
Methanogens are archaebacteria that live in places such as deep-sea volcanic vents and
the intestines of mammals.
Angela M. Morales
Page 2
KINGDOM MONERA
Halophiles are a third type of archaebacteria. These are found in extremely salty
environments, such as the Dead Sea.
The second main type of monera is eubacteria. The most common method of classifying
eubacteria is the Gram Stain.
The third major type is mycroplasmas, the smallest living cells that have been discovered.
Mycroplasmas are found in most instances as intracellular parasites in plants and animals.
Angela M. Morales
Page 3
KINGDOM MONERA
2.
Nutrition
o
Bacteria obtain nutrition in various ways. Bacteria need carbon, energy, nitrogen,
sulfur, phosphorus and other micronutrients to survive. Some bacteria produce their own
food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. Other bacteria get energy from breaking
down organic compounds, such as decomposing materials, in their environment. Other
types of bacteria are parasites and take food from their hosts. Some types require oxygen
to survive, and others are killed by oxygen.
Reproduction
o
Bacteria reproduce using binary fission. This involves the cell making a copy of
itself and passing along a DNA molecule to the offspring. This means the parent cell and
the offspring are genetically identical. Transformation may occur if the bacteria take
DNA fragments from the soil or water. Conjugation occurs when a bacterium attaches
itself to another bacterium and transfers DNA. Transduction occurs when DNA is
transferred to a bacterium through a virus. This process allows bacteria to change as their
environment changes in some instances. This change is not possible through binary
fission reproduction alone.
Locomotion
o
Bacteria move about using various means. They squirm, glide and propel
themselves using flagella, which are long, hair-like whips. Some bacteria also excrete a
slime that helps them glide along surfaces. A few types of bacteria use a type of location
that is made possible with axial filaments or bundled fibrils on the outer cell wall of the
bacteria. The axial filaments rotate the cell and move in a corkscrew like fashion.
Bacteria use locomotion to approach nutrients, move away from toxins and for other
purposes.
Significance
o
Bacteria are everywhere around us. They keep us healthy and make us sick. They
are used in producing disease-fighting drugs. They turn milk to yogurt or cheese. Bacteria
make decomposition possible, and bacteria in the digestive tracts of some animals make it
possible for them to digest plant materials. Legumes grow because of bacteria in the soil
that supply them with nitrogen. These are just a few examples of the roles these smallest
of organisms play in the continuation of life on Earth.
References:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/monera (Definition, Etymology, & Pronunciation)
Monera Facts | eHow.com By Bethney Foster, eHow Contributor -Article on Monera
http://www.ehow.com/about_5452814_monera.html#ixzz1Gmj0uthr
Angela M. Morales
Page 4