Classification of organisms
Whittaker’s 5 kingdoms
Characters
Five Kingdoms
Monera
Protista
Fungi
Plantae
Animalia
Cell type
Prokaryotic
Eukaryotic
Eukaryotic
Eukaryotic
Eukaryotic
Cell wall
Non-cellular
Present in
some
Present
Present
Absent
Body
organization
Cellular
Cellular
Multicellular
Tissue
Tissue
Organ
Tissue
Organ
Organ system
Mode of
nutrition
Autotrophic
Autotrophic
Heterotrophic Autotrophic
Heterotrophic Heterotrophic
Heterotrophic
Prokaryotes | Unicellular
MONERA
Monera
Bacteria are the sole members of the
Kingdom Monera. They are the most
abundant micro-organisms. Bacteria
occur almost everywhere. They have
been found in extreme habitats such
as hot springs, deserts, snow and deep
oceans where very few other life forms
can survive.
Bacteria are grouped under four
categories based on their shape:
• spherical - Coccus
• rod shaped - Bacillus
• comma shaped - Vibrium
• spiral shaped - Spirillum
Streptococcus pneumoniae (spherical)
Vibrio cholerae (comma)
Helicobacter pylori (spiral)
Pseudomonas (rod)
Monera
Lactic Acid Bacteria
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), grown on
purpose in cucumbers immersed in a
salty brine digest the sugars in the
cucumbers and metabolize them into
lactic acid. Thus they remove a
potential food source for harmful
bacteria. At the same time, lactic acid
produces an acidic medium which
functions as a preservative and
controls spoilage bacteria. The high
salt concentration used is tolerated by
the lactic acid bacteria but prevents
spoilage bacteria from propagating.
The cucumbers thus treated are called
pickles or pickled cucumbers.
e.g. Lactobacillus - probiotic bacteria,
which are useful for human and animal
health
Magnification: x6666 @ 10 cm.
Monera
Blue-green Algae
Magnification: x250 @ 3.5 cm.
a.k.a Cynanobacteria
Greek: κυανός (kyanós) = blue.
The ability of cyanobacteria to perform
oxygenic photosynthesis is thought to
have converted the early reducing
atmosphere into an oxidizing one,
which dramatically changed the
composition of life forms on Earth by
stimulating biodiversity.
Cyanobacteria can be found in almost
every conceivable environment, from
oceans to fresh water to bare rock to
soil.
They are colonial or filamentous.
Heterocyst-forming species (Nostoc
and Anabena) are specialized for
nitrogen fixation and are able to fix
nitrogen gas into ammonia, nitrites or
nitrates which can be absorbed by
plants and converted to protein and
nucleic acids
Magnification x1000 @ 10 cm.
Eukaryotes | Unicellular
PROTISTA
Protista
Protozoa - Paramecium
Paramecium is a group of unicellular
ciliate protozoa. They are about 50 to
350 μm in length. Simple cilia cover
the body, which allow the cell to move
with a synchronous motion (like a
caterpillar).
Paramecia are widespread in
freshwater environments.
Paramecia feed on microorganisms like
bacteria, algae, and yeasts.
Magnification unknown.
Protista
Protozoa - Amoeba
Amoeba are single-celled organisms
that feed and move using irregular
extensions of the cell cytoplasm
known as pseudopods.
To move the amoeba extends a
pseudopod in the direction it "wishes"
to go, anchors it and pulls itself
forward by contracting it's cell body.
Feeding occurs by phagocytosis. A
pseudopodium flows out, engulfs a
small organism such as an alga and is
then reabsorbed into the cell body,
where it is digested by enzymes within
a digestive vacuole.
Magnification x17000 @ 10 cm.
Protista
Euglena
This freshwater single-celled organism
can either obtain energy from
sunlight, via photosynthesis, or by
absorbing chemicals from its
surroundings.
It is also, like many protozoa, an active
swimmer, moving rapidly by beating its
long, whip-like flagellum.
Magnification x2200 @ 10 cm.
Protista
Diatoms
Diatoms are single-celled
photosynthetic algae, of which there
are about 100,000 species, forming an
important part of the plankton at the
base of the marine and freshwater
food chains.
They have mineralized cell walls that
contain pure silica coated with a layer
of organic material.
The cell walls form two thin
overlapping shells which fit together
like a soap box.
Magnification x200 @ 10 cm.
Protista
Green Algae
Chlamydomonas are single-celled
organisms are aquatic, living in
freshwater habitats.
They use their two, tail like flagella for
swimming. These algae are also
photosynthetic; they contain two
types of the pigment chlorophyll,
which they use to capture sunlight
energy for the manufacture of sugars.
Magnification x900 @ 10 cm.
Eukaryotes | Multicellular | With cell wall | Don’t perform
photosynthesis
FUNGI
Fungi
Mould - Penicillium
Magnification x375 @ 10 cm.
It produces penicillin, a molecule that
is used as an antibiotic, which kills or
stops the growth of certain kinds of
bacteria inside the body.
Moulds grow in the form of
multicellular filaments called hyphae.
Since fungi use decaying organic
matter to grow fungi are also called as
saphrophytes.
Mould bread
Penicillium is a common fungus to infect bread,
producing mould of this colour.
Fungi
Mould - Aspergillus
Magnification x350 @ 10 cm.
Aspergillus produces toxins that lead
to food contamination. This species
may also cause aspergillosis, a
hypersensitive lung reaction in
asthmatics and those with lowered
resistance, provoked by repeated
inhalation of the spores.
Aspergillus grows in household dust,
soil, and decaying vegetable matter,
including stale food.
Spores about to be
released in the air.
Network of vegetative
filaments called hyphae.
Mould on nectarines
Color of mould depends on the nature of the
substrate & on the species of fungus; green for
Penicillium, blue, green or yellow for
Aspergillus.
Fungi
Yeast
Yeasts are unicellular eukaryotic
micro-organisms classified in the
kingdom Fungi, with 1,500 species
currently described estimated to be
only 1% of all fungal species.
Yeast is commonly used in fermenting
of alcoholic beverages and baking.
They have recently been used to
generate electricity in microbial fuel
cells, and produce ethanol for the
biofuel industry.
Magnification x3500 @ 10 cm.
Fungi
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore
bearing fruiting body of a fungus,
typically produced above ground on
soil or on its food source. Like all fungi,
mushrooms do not undergo
photosynthesis.
Many species of mushrooms
seemingly appear overnight, growing
or expanding rapidly. This
phenomenon is the source of several
common expressions in the English
language including "to mushroom" or
"mushrooming" (expanding rapidly in
size or scope) and "to pop up like a
mushroom" (to appear unexpectedly
and quickly).
Fungi
Lichen
Lichens are symbiotic organisms
formed of a fungus and an algae that
mutually benefit one another.
The algae is contained within the
hyphae (filaments) of the fungus
which protects it from harsh
conditions, and in particular from
desiccation. The algae supplies the
fungus with nutrients that it makes by
photosynthesis.
Eukaryotes | Multicellular | With cell wall | Perform photosynthesis
PLANTAE
Plantae
Thallophyta
Nondifferentiated
plant body
Embryophyta
Differentiated
plant body
Bryophyta
Non-vascular
plants
Tracheophyta
Vascular Plants
Petridophyta
Do not produce
seeds
Spermatophyta
Seed plants
Angiosperms
Seed inside
fruits
Gymnosperms
Naked seeds
Monocots
Dicots
thallus = green shoot or twig
Thallophyta
Spirogyra are filamentous green
algae found in freshwater
Cladophora and Sea Lettuce (Ulva lactuca)
Volvox (Colonial Algae)
Common stonewort (Chara vulgaris)
Three species of edible seaweed
Ulva, Palmaria and Laminaria (devil's apron)
Predominantly aquatic plants | Autotrophic
Simple thread like bodies with non-differentiated root, stem and leaves
bryon = moss in Latin
Bryophyta
Moss
Small plants that lack true
roots, woody tissue and
flowers.
Grow in damp places.
Moss on walls
Marchantia
Liverwort
Funaria
Riccia
Bryophyta are amphibians of the plant kingdom
They lack vascular tissues | Have root like structures called rhizoids
pteri = fern in Greek
Pteridophyta
Fern
Lycopodium
ground pine
Marsilea
Multicellular | Have vascular tissues
Reproduce asexually by spores and sexually by forming gametes
gymno = naked | sperm = seed
Gymnosperms
Pine
Cycas
Deodar
Spruce
Perennial | Evergreen | Woody
angio = covered| sperm = seed
Angiosperms
The flowering plants are the most diverse group of land plants.
Eukaryotes | Multicellular | No cell wall | Hetertropic
ANIMALIA
Animalia
Besides the animals
Parazoa
Porifera
Radiata
Eumetazoa
Body symmetry
Diploblastic and Triploblastic
Coelenterata
Mollusca
No segmentation
Platyhelminthes
No coelom
Protostome
Bilateria
Well after animals
Nematoda
Pseudocoelom
Annelida
Segmentation
Arthropoda
Joint legs
Coelomate
Echinodermata
No notochord
Deutrostome
Protochordata
Rudimentary notochord
coelom = cavity within the body
Vertebrata
Have vertebral column
Pisces
Amphibia
Reptilla
Aves
notochord = flexible, rod-shaped
supporting structure
Mammalia
porifera = pore bearer in Latin
Porifera
Spongilla
Sycon
Non-motile, attached to a solid support
Have pores all over the body which helps in circulating water to bring food and oxygen
Very minimal differentiation and division in to tissues
Ostia = Pores
Osculum = Large opening at free end
Spicules = Tiny spike like structure that provide support
koilos = full bellied
Coelenterata (Cnidaria)
Jelly fish
Hydra
Sea anemone
Corals
They have radial symmetry
Simple tissue organization
Body is made of two layers of cells – diploblastic
Stay in colonies
platy = flat in Greek
Platyhelminthes
Tape worm
Planaria
Tapeworms have no specialized digestive
system but feed on the half- digested
food in the intestines by direct
absorption through their entire skin
surface. Tapeworms can cause diarrhoea,
weight loss and abdominal discomfort.
Non-parasitic flat worm that lives in
lakes, streams, ponds, and other
freshwater bodies.
Liver fluke
Liver flukes are parasitic flatworms that
live in the bile duct of various mammals.
They cause a disease known as
fasciolosis and can cause great economic
losses in the sheep and cattle industry.
They have bilateral symmetry and flat body structure
They have three layers of cells – triploblastic
No true body cavity (coelom) – acoelomate
Nematoda
Ascaris (Roundworm)
These parasites infect mammals,
including humans, pigs, dogs and rats.
Infection follows the consumption of raw
or undercooked meat.
Hookworm
The hookworm is a parasitic nematode
that lives in the small intestine of its
host, which may be a mammal such as a
dog, cat, or human.
Pinworm / Threadworm
The pinworm also known as threadworm
is a common human intestinal parasite,
especially in children.
They have bilateral symmetry and round body structure
They have three layers of cells – triploblastic
They have a pseudocoelom
Generally parasitic disease causing worms
anellus = little ring in Latin
Annelida
Leech
Leech is a parasite has two suckers, one
at each end of its body, that it uses to
attach itself to the skin of its victim
whilst it drinks their blood.
Earthworm
The earthworms diet mainly consists of
organic substances in the soil, and its
movement helps to break up the soil and
improve its aeration.
Neresis (Sandworm)
Sandworms are marine annelid worms
that burrow in wet sand and mud using
parapodia (un-joint limb-like outgrowths)
and setae (bristles) for locomotion.
They have bilateral symmetry and segmented body structure
Reproduce sexually but sexes are not separate – hermaphrodite
They have three layers of cells – triploblastic
Have true coelom
árthron = joint and podós = foot
Arthropoda
Probably the largest group of animals
They have bilateral symmetry and are triploblastic
Body is externally segmented and protected with chitinous exoskeleton
Sexes are separate
Coelom is filled with blood
molluscus = soft in Greek
Mollusca
Snail
Octopus
Mussels
They have bilateral symmetry and soft body that is generally covered with a shell
Open circulatory system and kidney like organs for excretion
skin like hedgehog in Greek
Echinodermata
Starfish
Sea urchin
Sea cucumber
They are free living marine animals
They have tough spiny exoskeleton made up of calcium carbonate
They show radial symmetry
Water vascular system for locomotion, capture and transport of food and respiration
Protochordata
Urochordata and Cephalochordata
Balanoglossus
Marine or burrowing animals with soft, un-segmented, triploblastic body
They posses notochord only in embryonic stage
Vertebrata
Pisces (Fish)
• Aquatic animals
• Exoskeleton of scales | Endoskeleton of bone /cartilage
• Breathe through gills | Two chambered heart | Cold blooded
Amphibia
• Gills in larvae and lungs in most adults with slimy skin
• Lay their eggs in water (oviparous)
• Have three chambered heart
Reptilia
• Exoskeleton of scales
• Lay eggs outside water (oviparous)
• Cold blooded mostly terrestrial animals
Aves (Bird)
• Exoskeleton of feathers | Lay eggs outside water (oviparous)
• Two forelimbs are modified for flight
• Have four chambered heart | Warm blooded
Mammalia
• Exoskeleton of hair
• External ears
• Give birth to live young babies (viviparous except echidna and platypus)