Three-domain system
| Living Things | ||
|---|---|---|
| Scientific classification | ||
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| Domains | ||
In modern systems of biological classification, especially those based on historical and genetic relationship, the kingdom is no longer the highest-level group. Above it, there are three domains, each consisting of a number of kingdoms. Compared to the five-kingdom system (see Kingdom), in these systems the Protista and Monera are separated into several kingdoms, and the series of kingdoms are divided into three great domains:
- the Archaea (originally named the archaebacteria)
- the Eubacteria, and
- the Eukaryota, which encompasses everything else, including all multicellular lifeforms.