Characteristics of the Monera Kingdom—, do you know about the monera kingdom in biology material? The monera kingdom can be said to be the oldest organism on earth.
The majority of members of the Monera are prokaryotic , which means they have a cell nucleus or organelles, but do not have a cell nucleus membrane, such as chloroplasts, mitochondria, and Golgi bodies.
Monera is called the oldest organism on earth. The organism is claimed to be able to survive according to its habitat. That is what causes monera to still exist today and become one part of all living things on earth.
This article will discuss the definition, characteristics, and classification. So, read the following explanation until the end so that you better understand one of the following biology materials.
The kingdom monera is one of the prokaryotic organisms and is classified as the oldest organism on the surface of the earth. At least, there are two examples of this kingdom group, namely blue algae and bacteria.
Monera has existed for billions of years and is the oldest living thing in the world. Monera was originally categorized intokingdom plantae , but was excluded because it apparently did not have the same characteristics as plants .
One of the facts related to monera shows that the characteristics of cells in blue algae and bacteria are very different from plants . Members of monera are primitive organisms whose bodies are formed from only one cell. This is what causes monera to only rely on metabolic reactions in their bodies, including during the reproduction process.
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Monera reproduces in a simple way, namely by division only. New individuals will later be formed from a division process that occurs in the parent. The process only occurs for 20 minutes, making it the most populous creature on earth.
The size of the organism is so small that its existence is not realized by other creatures, including humans. However, the organism plays a very important role for the organism that has died.
Monera weathers or decomposes dead organisms and forms them into other compounds, such as converted into nitrogen, carbon, sulfur, and so on. The process is also said to be able to restore minerals in the soil so that they can be reused by other organisms.
Deden (2011) in the book Biology of Agricultural Groups said that these organisms can indeed cause disease, although some of them also have benefits for other creatures. One of the dangerous diseases caused by monera is syphilis.
General Characteristics of Members of the Kingdom Monera
(Image source: Scanning electron micrograph of Escherichia coli rods ( National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/Public domain))
Some characteristics of the kingdom monera include:
- Composed of unicellular or one cell.
- Does not have membrane organelles.
- Have diverse cells.
- Have a prokaryotic cell type.
- Has a peptidoglycan wall.
- Reproduce or multiply in a simple way, namely by dividing itself or endospores.
Classification of Kingdom Monera
Based on its cell structure, the kingdom monera can be categorized into two parts, namely:
1. Archaebacteria
Archaebacteria are a group of ancient bacteria that have different characteristics from other members of the monera, namely they are found in various extreme places.
The characteristics of archaebacteria include:
- Does not have a peptidoglycanwall .
- Contains several types of ribonucleic acid(RNA) polymers.
- Can withstand antibiotics.
- Living in extreme places.
Types of Archaebacteria
Based on where they live, archaebacteria can be categorized into several groups, namely:
· Methanogen
Methanogens are a group of archaebacteria that can produce methane gas (CH4 ) . Archaebacteria are also a type of obligate anaerobic organism that can be found in the lowest layer of swamps.
These bacteria can be used to convert animal waste into biogas. In addition, these bacteria can also be found in the mutualistic symbiosis of animal digestive systems, such as termites and cows.
· Extreme Halophile
Extreme halophiles are a group of archaebacteria that can live in areas with high salinity levels, such as the Dead Sea and the Great Salt Lake.
This group has the pigment orthodopsin which captures solar energy which is used to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and energy.
· Extreme Thermophile
This group of archaebacteria is often found in places with extreme temperatures between 60°C–105°C, such as hot springs and volcanic craters.
2. Eubacteria
Eubacteria is a type of bacteria that was originally discovered by Antony van Leeuwenhoek in 1674 and popularized by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg in 1828.
The characteristics of Eubachteria include:
- It has a length of 2 to µm and a width of 1 to µm, while its diameter reaches 1 micron.
- It has a relatively fixed cell shape because its cell walls are composed of peptidoglycan.
- Has a body with a capsule, cell wall, and plasma membrane to cytoplasm, deoxyribonucleic acid(DNA), ribosomes, mesosomes, and plasmids.
- Living unicellularly, solitary, and in colonies.
- Can form endospores that have thick walls and can survive adverse environmental conditions.
Types of Eubachteria
Eubachteria can be categorized into several groups, namely:
· Spirochaeta
Spirochaeta is a group of eubacteria that has a spiral shape with a length of + 0.25 mm and obtains energy through chemoheterotrophy.
· Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a parasite that lives in animal cells and can be transmitted through sexual contact. The bacteria can also cause blindness. The bacteria obtain energy from their host. An example of such bacteria is Chlamydia trachomatis .
· Gram Bacteria
Based on its coloring, this type of bacteria has two types of grams, namely:
-Gram negative which has a thin peptidoglycan wall with a red color. An example is Salmonella sp .
-Gram positive which has a thick peptidoglycan wall with purple color. An example is Bacillus sp .
· Cyanobacteria
Cyanobacteriais a group of blue algae that has the same chlorophyll as plants . This group can be found in sea and fresh water, even in the depths of the sea.
· Proteobacteria
Proteobacteria can be categorized into three groups, namely:
- Purple bacteria.
- Chemoautotrophic Proteobacteria.
- Chemoheterotrophic proteobacteria.
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