kingdom

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kingdom Topmost level (taxon) of the most widely adopted taxonomy for living organisms, the Five Kingdoms system. The Five Kingdoms are Animalia (animal), Plantae (plant), Fungi (fungus), Prokaryote, and Protoctist. Two subkingdoms are often recognized within Prokaryotae, Archaebacteria and Eubacteria, but the bacteria are so diverse that many taxonomists think they comprise more than one kingdom. Some believe that they merit the status of a new, even higher category, domains. See also eukaryote; plant classification

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