Main characteristics of the kingdom Monera are as follows:
- They are primitive organisms.
- All organisms of the kingdom are prokaryotes.
- They are present in both living and non-living environment.
- They can survive in harsh and extreme climatic conditions like in hot springs, acidic soils etc.
- They are unicellular organisms.
- Membrane bound nucleus is absent.
- DNA is in double stranded form, suspended in the cytoplasm of the organism,referred as nucleoid.
- A rigid cell wall is present.
- Membrane bound cellular organelles like mitochondria are absent.
- 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.
Nutrition -
- Autotrophs - can prepare their own food,
- Heterotrophs - depend on others for food,
- Saprophytes - feed on dead and decaying matter
- Parasitic - live on other host cells for survival and cause,
- Symbiotic - in mutual relation with other organisms,
- Commensalism - it is where one organism is benefited and the other is not affected,
- Mutualism - where both the organisms are benefited.
- Respiration - respiration in these organisms vary, they may be obligate aerobes - the organisms must have organisms for survival
- Obligate anaerobes - the organisms cannot survive in the presence of oxygen.
- Facultative anaerobes - these organisms can survive with or without oxygen.
- Circulation - is through diffusion.
- Movement - is with the help of flagella.
Reproduction is mostly asexual, sexual reproduction is also seen. Asexual reproduction is by binary fission, sexual reproduction is by conjugation, transformation and transduction.
