FIVE-KINGDOM CLASSIFICATION OF LIVING ORGANISMS
R.H. Whittaker proposed the five-kingdom classification in 1969. This classification was based
upon certain characters like mode of nutrition, thallus organization, cell structure, phylogenetic
relationships and reproduction. This form of kingdom classification includes five kingdoms
Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia.
The five-kingdom classification of living organisms included the following kingdoms:
Kingdom Monera
Bacteria are categorized underneath the Kingdom Monera.
Features of Monerans
They possess the following important features:
• Bacteria occur everywhere and they are microscopic in nature.
• They possess a cell wall and are prokaryotic.
• The cell wall is formed of amino acids and polysaccharides.
• Bacteria can be heterotrophic and autotrophic.
• The heterotrophic bacteria can be parasitic or saprophytic. The autotrophic bacteria can be
chemosynthetic or photosynthetic.
Types of Monerans
Bacteria can be classified into four types based on their shape:
• Coccus (pl.: cocci) – These bacteria are spherical in shape
• Bacillus (pl.: bacilli) – These bacteria are rod-shaped
• Vibrium (pl.: vibrio) – These bacteria are comma-shaped bacteria
• Spirillum (pl.: spirilla) – These bacteria are spiral-shaped bacteria
Kingdom Protista
Features of Protista
Protista has the following important features:
• They are unicellular and eukaryotic organisms.
• Some of them have cilia or flagella for mobility.
• Sexual reproduction is by a process of cell fusion and zygote formation.
Kingdom Fungi
The kingdom fungi include moulds, mushroom, yeast etc. They show a variety of applications in
domestic as well as commercial purposes.
Features of Kingdom Fungi
• The fungi are filamentous, excluding yeast (single-celled).
• Their figure comprises slender, long thread-like constructions called hyphae. The web of
hyphae is called mycelium.
• Some of the hyphae are unbroken tubes which are jam-packed with multinucleated
cytoplasm. Such hyphae are labelled Coenocytic hyphae.
• The other type of hyphae has cross-walls or septae.
• The cell wall of fungi is composed of polysaccharides and chitin.
Kingdom Plantae
Features of Kingdom Plantae
• The kingdom Plantae is filled with all eukaryotes which have chloroplast.
• Most of them are autotrophic in nature, but some are heterotrophic as well.
• The Cell wall mainly comprises cellulo
Kingdom Animalia
Features of Kingdom Animalia
• All multicellular eukaryotes which are heterotrophs and lack cell wall are set aside under
this kingdom.
• The animals are directly or indirectly dependent on plants for food. Their mode of nutrition
is holozoic. Holozoic nutrition encompasses ingestion of food and then the use of an
internal cavity for digestion of food.
• Many of the animals are adept for locomotion.
• They reproduce by sexual mode of reproduction.
THREE DOMAIN CLASSIFICATION OF LIVING ORGANISMS
The Three Domain System, proposed by Carl Woese
The Archaea (archaebacteria)
The Archaea possess the following characteristics:
a. Archaea are prokaryotic cells.
b. Unlike the Bacteria and the Eukarya, the Archaea have membranes composed of branched
hydrocarbon chains
c. The cell walls of Archaea contain no peptidoglycan.
d. Archaea are not sensitive to some antibiotics that affect the Bacteria, but are sensitive to
some antibiotics that affect the Eukarya.
e. Archaea contain rRNA that is unique to the Archaea as indicated by the presence molecular
regions distinctly different from the rRNA of Bacteria and Eukarya.
f. Archaea often live in extreme environments and include methanogens, extreme halophiles,
and hyperthermophiles. One reason for this is that the ether-containing linkages in
the Archaea membranes is more stable than the ester-containing linkages in
the Bacteria and Eukarya and are better able to withstand higher temperatures and stronger
acid concentrations.
The Bacteria (eubacteria)
Bacteria (also known as eubacteria or "true bacteria") are prokaryotic cells that are common in
human daily life, encounter many more times than the archaebacteria. Eubacteria can be found
almost everywhere and kill thousands upon thousands of people each year, but also serve as
antibiotics producers and food digesters in our stomachs. The Bacteria possess the following
characteristics:
Bacteria are prokaryotic cells.
Like the Eukarya, they have membranes composed of unbranched fatty acid chains attached
to glycerol by ester linkages
The cell walls of Bacteria, unlike the Archaea and the Eukarya, contain peptidoglycan.
Bacteria are sensitive to traditional antibacterial antibiotics but are resistant to most antibiotics
that affect Eukarya.
Bacteria contain rRNA that is unique to the Bacteria as indicated by the presence molecular
regions distinctly different from the rRNA of Archaea and Eukarya.
Bacteria include mycoplasmas, cyanobacteria, Gram-positive bacteria, and Gram-negative
bacteria.
The Eukarya (eukaryotes)
The Eukarya (also spelled Eucarya) possess the following characteristics:
Eukarya have eukaryotic cells.
Like the Bacteria, they have membranes composed of unbranched fatty acid chains
attached to glycerol by ester linkages
Not all Eukarya possess cells with a cell wall, but for those Eukarya having a cell wall,
that wall contains no peptidoglycan.
Eukarya are resistant to traditional antibacterial antibiotics but are sensitive to most
antibiotics that affect eukaryotic cells.
Eukarya contain rRNA that is unique to the Eukarya as indicated by the presence
molecular regions distinctly different from the rRNA of Archaea and Bacteria.
The Eukarya are subdivided into the following four kingdoms:
Protista Kingdom:
Protista are simple, predominately unicellular eukaryotic organisms. Examples includes slime
molds, euglenoids, algae, and protozoans.
Fungi Kingdom:
Fungi are unicellular or multicellular organisms with eukaryotic cell types. The cells have cell
walls but are not organized into tissues. They do not carry out photosynthesis and obtain nutrients
through absorption. Examples include sac fungi, club fungi, yeasts, and molds.
Plantae Kingdom:
Plants are multicellular organisms composed of eukaryotic cells. The cells are organized into
tissues and have cell walls. They obtain nutrients by photosynthesis and absorption. Examples
include mosses, ferns, conifers, and flowering plants.
Animalia Kingdom:
Animals are multicellular organisms composed of eukaryotic cells. The cells are organized into
tissues and lack cell walls. They do not carry out photosynthesis and obtain nutrients primarily by
ingestion. Examples include sponges, worms, insects, and vertebrates.