Tejinder, Academic Content Writer at Edumarz
The system of putting together organisms into groups/categories on the basis of similarities between them is called Classification.
The five kingdom classification was proposed by R.H. Whittaker, an ecologist in 1969. He classified all the organisms into five categories on the basis of certain characteristics:
Mode of nutrition – autotrophic or heterotrophic
Cell organisation – unicellular or multicellular
Cell type – prokaryotic or eukaryotic
Movement – static or moving
The five kingdom classification put together organisms in five categories which are:
Monera
Protista
Fungi
Plantae
Animalia
Monera –
This category includes microscopic organisms which cannot be seen with naked eye.
Features of Monerans:
Microscopic unicellular bacteria which occurs almost everywhere.
Prokaryotic i.e. do not have a well defined nucleus due to absence of nuclear membrane.
Possess a cell wall mostly, some of them do not have a cell wall.
Mode of nutrition is either autotrophic or heterotrophic (saprophytic or parasitic).
Example : bacteria
Types of Bacteria:
On the basis of the body shape they can be classified as:
Cocci – spherical in shape
Bacilli – rod shaped
Vibrio – comma shaped
Spirillum – spiral in shape
Protista-
This category includes primitive eukaryotes.
Features of Protists:
Unicellular primitive organisms.
Eukaryotic nuclei are well organised due to the presence of nuclear membranes.
Possess a cell wall.
Mode of nutrition is either autotrophic or heterotrophic.
Motile having cilia or flagella for movement.
Sexually reproducing organisms
Example : euglena, algae
Fungi –
This category includes fungi such as moulds, mushrooms, yeasts etc.
Features of Fungi:
Multicellular organisms, except yeast which is unicellular.
Eukaryotic nuclei are well organised due to the presence of nuclear membrane.
Cell wall made up of chitin (polysaccharide).
Mode of nutrition is heterotrophic (saprophytic). Sometimes fungi live in close association with algae where both benefit from each other, known as symbiotic relationship, where algae cooks food and fungi provides shelter. Another example of symbiotic relationship of fungi is with roots of higher organisms known as mycorrhiza.
The body of fungi is made up of thread-like connections known as hyphae. The association of hyphae is known as mycelium.
Example: Slime moulds, yeast
Plantae-
This category consists of chlorophyll containing green plants.
Features of Plantae:
Multicellular chlorophyll containing plants.
Eukaryotic nuclei are well organised due to the presence of nuclear membrane.
Possess a cell wall made up of cellulose.
Mode of nutrition is autotrophic. Green plants make their own food by a process of photosynthesis.
They consist of two distinct alternating phases in their life cycle. The haploid gametophytic phase and the diploid saprophytic phase.
Example : green plants
Animalia-
This category consists of the most evolved intelligent organisms.
Features of Animalia:
Multicellular most evolved organisms.
Eukaryotic nuclei are well organised due to the presence of nuclear membrane.
Do not possess a cell wall
Mode of nutrition is heterotrophic (holozoic).
Reproduce sexually.
Example: Tiger, rat