Biological Classification Test - 5

Five kingdom classification was proposed by R.H. Whittaker in 1969. The kingdoms identified by him were Monera, Protista,Fungi, Plantae and Animalia.

Kingdom Protista, kingdom Fungi, kingdom Plantae possess nuclear membrane while kingdom Monera do not possess nuclear membrane.

In Whittaker’s five kingdom of classification, kingdom protista, kingdom fungi, kingdom plantae and kingdom Animalia are eukaryotic organisms. The kingdom monera include prokaryotic organisms.

The fifth kingdom, Monera, contains all the single-celled organisms that do not possess a true nucleus. Members of the kingdom Monera are commonly referred to as bacteria.

Kingdom Protista has brought together Chlamydomonas, Chlorella which were earlier placed in Algae within Plants and (both having cell walls) with Paramoeciumand Amoeba which were earlier placed in the animal kingdom which lack it.

The Kingdom plantae includes all types of eukaryotic, multicellular, photosynthetic plants found in this biosphere. Most of the organism in this kingdom is autotrophs, which synthesis their own food with the help of solar energy.

Aristotle was the earliest to attempt a more scientific basis for classification. He used simple morphological characters to classify plants into trees, shrubs and herbs.

Aristotle used simple morphological characters to classify plants into trees, shrubs and herbs. He also divided animals into two groups, those which had red blood and those that did not.

In Linnaeus' time a Two Kingdom system of classification with Plantae and Animalia kingdoms was developed that included all plants and animals respectively. This system was used till very recently.

The character of possessing cell wall in their cells grouped together the unicellular organisms and the multicellular ones, for example, Chlamydomonas and Spirogyra were placed together under algae.