Three groups side by side
Set bacteria, protists and fungi side by side and what separates them becomes plain.
| Characteristic | Bacteria | Protista | Fungi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nucleus | Prokaryotic | Eukaryotic | Eukaryotic |
| Structure | Microscopic, unicellular | Mostly microscopic; red algae very large; no tissue differentiation | Mostly microscopic; mushrooms visible to the eye; no tissue differentiation |
| Shape | Coccus, bacillus, spirillum, vibrio | Leaf-like, irregular, horseshoe-shaped | Single round bodies or a mycelium |
| Nutrition | Mostly heterotrophic; cyanobacteria autotrophic | Algae autotrophic; unicellular animals heterotrophic | Heterotrophic; mostly saprophytic |
| Reproduction | Binary fission, fragmentation, budding | Binary fission, fragmentation, spores | Mostly asexual spores |
| Distribution | Air, water, soil, living bodies — everywhere | Sea water, fresh water, damp soil | On inorganic matter and inside living bodies; rare in water |
| Examples | Bacteria, cyanobacteria | Algae, protozoa (Amoeba, Paramecium) | Fungi |
Table 13.1 — the characteristics of organisms belonging to Domain Bacteria and the kingdoms Protista and Fungi.
One row separates each pair
Look at the top row. The nucleus separates bacteria from the other two; nutrition separates algae from fungi. Having no tissue differentiation is what separates both Protista and Fungi from plants and animals.