Domain, realm and sub-realm
As is well known, biology has set itself the task of classifying all life on earth. This is based on the coarsest distinction, the domain, and thus establishes an order in the manner of a family tree, ranging from realms and sub-realms to species and races.
That is what the domain means
The domain is at the top of the systematic classification of life forms. There are three domains:
- The bacteria form a domain. They are further classified into tribes.
- The second domain are the archaea, which are also further subdivided into tribes. Bacteria and archaea together form the prokaryotes, i.e. living beings that do not actually have a cell nucleus.
- The third domain are the eukaryotes, i.e. all living things that have a cell nucleus. They are further subdivided into realms.
In 1990 there was a further division into only two domains, that of the prokaryotes and the eukaryotes, but the classification into three domains is usually preferred.
The bacteria are one of the basic classes of living things. They are usually used in ...
The classification as empire
The domain of the eukaryotes can be further divided into realms.
- In the past, the eukaryotes were divided into the three kingdoms of animals, plants and fungi.
- The latest system in this area is from 2005. Then there are six realms, also called supergroups: The six supergroups are the Opisthokonta, which also include animals and mushrooms, the Archaeplastida, i.e. plants capable of photosynthesis, the Amoebozoa (single-celled amoebas), the Rhizaria (single-celled cells with pseudopods), the Chromalveolata (v. a. Algae) and the Excavata (single-cell organisms with a pit).
The further system
The realms or supergroups can now be further subdivided in the classic evolutionary system (which, however, has been replaced by the taxonomy according to DNA). The realm can be further divided into sub-realms.
- The sub-kingdom is followed by the tribe, then the department, the class, the order, the family, the genus, the species and the race.
- Each of these classifications can be further subdivided and summarized, for example into core groups, superfamilies, sub-tribes, subclasses or sub-orders.
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