1. Animalia: All animals, from sponges to humans, belong to this kingdom. They are multicellular, heterotrophic (meaning they obtain nutrition by consuming other organisms), and typically have a complex organization with specialized tissues and organs.
2. Plantae: This kingdom includes all plants, from mosses to flowering trees. They are multicellular, autotrophic (meaning they produce their own food through photosynthesis), and have cell walls made of cellulose.
3. Fungi: This kingdom includes mushrooms, molds, and yeasts. They are heterotrophic, obtaining nutrients by absorbing organic matter from their surroundings. They have cell walls made of chitin.
4. Protista: This kingdom is a diverse group of mostly single-celled eukaryotes (organisms with membrane-bound nuclei). It includes algae, protozoa, slime molds, and water molds.
5. Monera: This kingdom includes all bacteria and archaea. They are single-celled prokaryotes (organisms without membrane-bound nuclei).
It's important to note that:
* This traditional five-kingdom system is not universally accepted.
* Some scientists argue for a six-kingdom system, separating bacteria and archaea into separate kingdoms.
* Others propose a three-domain system, grouping organisms based on their evolutionary history into Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.
The classification of life is constantly evolving as new discoveries are made.