What is a domain in biological taxonomy?
Q: What is a domain in biological taxonomy?
A: A domain in biological taxonomy is a taxon in the highest rank of organisms, higher than a kingdom. It is the most inclusive of these biological groupings and reflects the fundamental evolutionary differences in the genomes.
Q: How many modern alternative domain classifications are there?
A: There are several modern alternative domain classifications of life, including two-empire, six-kingdom, and three-domain systems.
Q: What is the two-empire system?
A: The two-empire system has top-level groupings of Prokaryota (or Monera) and Eukaryota empires.
Q: What is the six-kingdom system?
A: The six-kingdom system has top-level groupings of Protista, Archaebacteria, Eubacteria, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.
Q: What is Carl Woese's three-domain system?
A: Carl Woese's three-domain system divides life into 23 main divisions in three domains - Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya - based on genetic relationships. After defining Archaea as a new domain he redrew the taxonomic tree.
Q: Are archaea bacteria or eukaryotes?
A: Archaea are neither bacteria nor eukaryotes; they are prokaryotes that are not bacteria.
