Page 10 - One Million Things: Animal Life - The Incredible Visual Guide

LIFE Staphylococcus

From microscopic bacteria to massive blue whales,
planet Earth is populated by a spectacular variety of life.
But, despite their obvious differences, all living things
share certain common features. They all obtain energy,
grow, respond to their surroundings, and reproduce—
things that nonliving objects, such as rocks, cannot do.
Scientists divide life-forms into five distinct groups called
kingdoms. Each has its own features, as you can see here.

BACTERIA
These are the tiniest, most abundant, and
most widespread life-forms. Bacteria consist
of single cells that, despite being simpler
Amoeba same basic ways. Some take in food from their
than those in other organisms, work in the
surroundings, while others make their own,
using sunlight or other sources of energy.

PROTISTS Helicobacter pylori
Like bacteria, most protists also consist
of single cells, but they are larger and just
as complex as the cells that form animals and plants.
Protists generally live in water or damp places. They are
divided into animal-like protozoa, which take in food
from their surroundings, and plantlike algae, which
make food by photosynthesis.

Fly agaric

Paramecium Puffballs

Dried
FUNGI yeast
Mushrooms, toadstools, molds, and
yeasts are just some of the organisms
that make up the fungi. Some resemble
plants, but they live in a very different
way. Fungi feed by releasing digestive
chemicals called enzymes that
break down dead or living
matter, then absorb the simple
nutrients that are released.

Bread mold

8 Bracket fungus

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