Kingdom Monera

Biology

definition

Bacteria

Structure
  • They are larger than viruses.
  • They have organelles, cell wall, cytoplasm, and cell membrane.
Characteristics
  • Some bacteria are infectious while some are beneficial. 

  • They are unicellular prokaryotes.
Examples
  • Staphylococcus bacteria, Rhizobium bacteria etc.

definition

Size and shape of bacteria

The bacteria are usually of four types on the basis of shape:
  • Cocci (spherical bacteria) 
  • Bacilli (rod-shaped bacteria)
  • Spirilla (spiral or twisted bacteria)
  • Vibrio (comma-shaped)

definition

Methanogen

  • Methanogens are microorganisms that produce methane as a metabolic byproduct in anoxic conditions.

definition

Moneran characteristics of bacteria

1. Habitat - Monerans are found everywhere in hot springs, under ice, in deep ocean floor, in deserts and on or inside the body of plants and animals.
2. Nutrition - Autotrophs, heterotrophs, parasitic, symbiotic, commensalism, mutualism.
3. Respiration in these organisms vary, they may be obligate aerobes, obligate anaerobes and facultative anaerobes.
4. Circulation is through diffusion. 
5. Movement is with the help of flagella.
6. Reproduction is mostly asexual, sexual reproduction is also seen. Asexual reproduction is by binary fission, sexual reproduction is by conjugation, transformation and transduction.

definition

Methanogens

  • They are strict anaerobes.
  • They occur in marshy areas and convert formic acid and carbon dioxide into methane with the help of oxygen.
  • For example, Methanobacterium, Methanococcus.

definition

Eubacteria

  • It is a bacterium of a large group typically having simple cells with rigid cell walls and often flagella for movement.
  • The group comprises the true bacteria and cyanobacteria, as distinct from archaea.

definition

Reproduction in bacteria

Reproduction 
  • Sexual reproduction in bacteria mainly occurs by transformation, transduction and conjugation.
  • Asexual reproduction by means of binary fission and sporulation.