Classification Level: Kingdom

The table below lists the basic general characteristics that are used to differentiate between the different kingdoms.

Criteria	Kingdom
Criteria	Animals	Plants	Fungi	Protists	Archaebacteria	Eubacteria
Type of cells	Eukaryotic	Eukaryotic	Eukaryotic	Eukaryotic	Prokaryotic	Prokaryotic
Cell wall	None	Yes (cellulose)	Yes (chitin)	None	Yes (peptidoglycan)	Yes
Cell organization	Multicellular	Multicellular	Multicellular	Single celled	Single celled	Single celled
Heterophroph or Autotroph?	Heterotroph	Autotroph	Heterotroph	Both	Both	Both
Method of reproduction	Mostly sexual but can be asexual	Mostly sexual but can be asexual	Both	Both	Asexual	Asexual
Example organisms	Sponges, worms, lobsters, starfish, humans	Mosses, ferns, conifers, flowering plants	Mushrooms, yeasts, moulds	Algae, amoebas, parameciums	Methanogens, thermophiles, halophiles	Bacteria, cyanobacteria