Classifying Living Things

Bacteria

A domain of unicellular prokaryotes with cell walls. Bacteria. Bacteria are tiny single-celled organisms that can be found almost everywhere and play vital roles in different ecosystems, including helping with digestion and decomposing organic matter.

Classification

Grouping things by similarity. Classification. In Science, classification is the process of organizing items or organisms into categories based on shared characteristics.

Fungi

The kingdom of organisms that absorb nutrients from dead matter, like mushrooms or molds, is fungi. Fungi are living organisms that break down dead material to absorb nutrients.

Invertebrate

An animal without a backbone invertebrate. Invertebrates are animals that do not have a spine, like insects, worms, and jellyfish.

Kingdom

The largest group into which an organism can be classified. kingdom. In Science, a kingdom is a broad category used to classify and group all organisms that share similar fundamental characteristics.

Nonvascular plant

A low-growing plant that lacks true vascular tissue, like moss. Nonvascular plant. Nonvascular plants are simple plants that do not have tubes to transport water and nutrients.

Protist

A unicellular or multicellular organism that is not plant, animal or fungus. Protist. Protists are diverse organisms that often thrive in watery environments and can be similar to amoebas or algae.

Species

A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring. Species. In Science, a species is a group of living things that can reproduce together and have babies that can also have their own babies.

Vascular plant

A plant with specialized tissue to move water and food. Vascular plant. A vascular plant is a type of plant that uses tubes to transport water and nutrients throughout its structure.

Vertebrate

An animal with a backbone. Vertebrate. Vertebrates are animals that have a spine or backbone made of bones called vertebrae.