Where Do Viruses Fit in Taxonomy?

[Dagenais]

So, there are 5 basic Kingdoms in Taxonomy that include Monera, Animalia, Protista, Plant, and Fungi right?

So, where does the virus fight in? Monera? Or is it considered non-living?

 

[TALewis]

As far as I know, there is no placement of viruses in the five kingdom system.

This site gives the following explanation:

http://waynesword.palomar.edu/trfeb98.htm

"Viruses do not belong to the above 5 kingdoms of life. They are much smaller and much less complex than cells. They are macromolecular units composed of DNA or RNA surrounded by an outer protein shell. They have no membrane-bound organelles, no ribosomes (organelle site of protein synthesis), no cytoplasm (living contents of a cell), and no source of energy production of their own. They do not exhibit autopoiesis--i.e. they do not have the self-maintenance metabolic reactions of living systems. Viruses lack cellular respiration, ATP-production, gas exchange, etc."

 

[iansmith]

So, there are 5 basic Kingdoms in Taxonomy that include Monera, Animalia, Protista, Plant, and Fungi right?

So, where does the virus fight in? Monera? Or is it considered non-living?

The kingdoms classification is outdated due to new reach done. Viruse classification is very complex but is evolutiary parrallelle to the other domains. Usually viruses have their tree of evolution.

 

[iansmith]

More infortaion about viruses classification
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ICTV/