In Whittaker's five-kingdom tree, life was categorized into two empires based on cellular structure. The Empire Prokaryota contained just the Kingdom Monera, which consists of organisms without membrane-bound nuclei. The Empire Eukaryota contained the other four kingdoms—Fungi, Protista, Plantae, and Animalia—which consist of organisms with membrane-bound nuclei.

Empires Prokaryota and Eukaryota

To distinguish between organisms that have membrane-bound nuclei (eukaryotes) and those that do not (prokaryotes), Robert Whittaker's tree of life introduced a level of categorization above the kingdom level, known as the empire or superkingdom level.

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In $${}1969$$, American ecologist Robert Whittaker proposed a phylogenetic tree that expanded upon previous models by adding a fifth kingdom, Fungi. Whittaker's five-kingdom tree became the standard phylogeny for many years.

Whittaker's Five-Kingdom Tree

https://openstax.org/details/books/microbiology/

Microbiology covers the scope and sequence requirements for a single-semester microbiology course for non-majors. The book presents the core concepts of microbiology with a focus on applications for careers in allied health. The pedagogical features of the text make the material interesting and accessible while maintaining the career-application focus and scientific rigor inherent in the subject matter. Microbiology’s art program enhances students’ understanding of concepts through clear and effective illustrations, diagrams, and photographs.

Microbiology is produced through a collaborative publishing agreement between OpenStax and the American Society for Microbiology Press. The book aligns with the curriculum guidelines of the American Society for Microbiology.

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