The Kingdom Monera is the most numerous of all organisms, and makes up the only prokaryotic kingdom.  All of the Monerans share these characteristics:

Quick Fact: Monera is derived from the Greek word moneres, meaning “single”, in reference to the single-celled nature of most prokaryotes.

- All bacteria are prokaryotes.  (lack a membrane bound nucleus)

- All bacteria are unicellular.  (only have one cell)

- They may be spherical (coccus), rodlike (bacillus), spiral (spirillum).

The chroococcus, an example of coccus bacteria.

- On average, bacteria are 1 micrometre long and 0.5 micrometres wide.

- Bacteria are surrounded by a lipid membrane.
-This regulates the flow of materials in and out of the cell.

- A cell wall lies outside the cell membrane.

- Bacteria move by flagella, secreting slime or by axial filiments. (see movement)

- Bacteria reproduce through binary fission, which is asexual.