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Five kingdom system
This is the most common way of grouping living things based on simple distinctive
characteristics. Classification systems are always changing as new information is made
available. Modern technologies such as Genetics makes it possible to unravel evolutionary
relationships to greater and greater detail. The five-kingdom system was developed by
Robert H. Whittaker in 1969 and was built on the work of previous biologists such as
Carolus Linnaeus. The highest grouping is called a kingdom.
Living things can be classified into five major kingdoms:

Kingdom Animalia

Kingdom Plantae

Kingdom Fungi

Kingdom Protista

Kingdom Monera (Bacteria)
Interesting Fact:
WATCH: A video showing a brief summary of the five kingdoms
Distinctive features of the Five Kingdoms
We will now identify the main distinctive features of each kingdom:
Kingdom Monera
The Monera typically consist of prokaryotic, unicellular organisms. No nuclear membrane or
membrane-bound organelles such as chloroplasts, Golgi complex, mitochondria and
endoplasmic reticulum are present. Monera have a cell wall of protein plus polysaccharide
compound, but not cellulose. They reproduce asexually by binary fission. Important
examples of Monera include Archaea, cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and bacteria.
Interesting Fact:
Bacteria are found everywhere and are the most numerous organisms on Earth. In a single
gram of soil, there are about 40 million bacterial cells. The human body also contains 10
times as many bacterial cells as human cells!
Figure 1: Mycobacterium bacteria that causes
Tuberculosis.
Kingdom Protista
Protista are eukaryotic and can be unicellular or simple multicellular. They reproduce
sexually or asexually. Important examples of protists include the organism known
as Plasmodium (which causes malaria), Amoeba, Euglena. There are two major groups of
protists which include the Protozoans, whose cells are similar to animal cells in that they do
not have cell walls and the plant-like cells which do have cell walls and are similar to algae.
Figure 2: Euglena an example of a protist.
Euglena showing its chloroplasts.
Figure 3: A collection of the different types of protists that
exist.
Kingdom Fungi
Fungi are eukaryotic, multicellular (some unicellular like yeasts). They have a cell wall made
of chitin. They are non-motile (not capable of movement). Fungi consist of threads called
hyphae. Fungi are heterotrophic organisms which means they require organic compounds
of carbon and nitrogen for nourishment. They are important as decomposers (saprophytes)
and can be parasitic. They store carbon as glycogen, not in the form of starch. Fungi
reproduce sexually and asexually by spore formation. Important examples of fungi include
Mushrooms andPenicillium (a fungus which was used to make penicillin, one of the most
powerful anti-biotics ever created) and also bread mould.
Figure 4: Examples of fungi.
Interesting Fact:
A TED video on the many uses of Fungi
Figure 5: Mushrooms are examples of fungi.
Interesting Fact:
Sir Alexander Fleming discovered the first antibiotics in 1928, after observing that colonies
of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria could be destroyed by the fungi Penicillium notatum.
This observation that certain substances were deadly to microbial life lead to the discovery
and development of medicines that could kill many types of disease-causing bacteria in the
body.
Kingdom Plantae
Organisms belonging to the plant kingdom are eukaryotic and multicellular organisms. They
have a distinct cell wall made of cellulose. Cells are organised into true plant tissues. Plants
contain plastids and photosynthetic pigments such as chlorophyll. They are non-motile.
Plants make their own food by photosynthesis and are therefore said to be autotrophic.
Plants undergo both sexual and asexual reproduction. They store food as starch. Important
examples of plants are mosses, ferns, conifers and flowering plants.
Figure 6: The King Protea flower is named after former
President Nelson Mandela and is called the Madiba Protea.
Kingdom Animalia
Figure 7: The diversity of the animal kingdom.
Members of the animal kingdom are eukaryotic and multicellular but have no cell wall or
photosynthetic pigments. They are mostly motile and they are heterotrophic, which means
they must feed on other organisms and cannot make their own food. They reproduce
sexually or asexually. Important examples of this class include Porifera (sponges),
Mammalia (Lion), Insects (grasshopper). They store carbon as glycogen and fat.
Figure 8: Jelly fish.
Figure 9: Sponge.
Figure 10: Image of grasshopper
Figure 11: Lion.
Activity 1: Optional activity: to investigate examples of life forms
from each kingdom
Aim
To investigate examples from each kingdom
Instructions:
1. Research one beneficial and one harmful application of one member from each
kingdom, with examples from their use in South Africa. Students can be grouped into
smaller groups and each one is given one kingdom to research. (Use www.arkive.org
as a research tool for your favourite animal or plant or
http://bugscope.becnkman.uiuc.edu/ for nice pictures of insects). Results can be
presented in the form of a poster.
2. Go to your nearest supermarket or garden and find one representative organism for
each kingdom. Present this information by drawing a diagram
Dichotomous Key
A dichotomous key is a tool that taxonomists often use to classify organisms correctly. It is a
form of hierarchical grouping that involves making decisions in a series of steps, from
general differences to very specific differences. It is called a dichotomous key because
there are always two choices. There is a very specific way to set up a dichotomous key. For
instance, one must always move from the general to the specific, and one must always
ensure that the two choices in the decision tree are mutually exclusive and jointly
exhaustive. Mutually exclusive means that there cannot be overlap between the two
options, as this would result in wanting to place an organism in two groups. Jointly
exhaustive means that your two options must cover all possibilities, otherwise you won't be
able to place an organism in either of the groups.
Activity 2: Identifying arthropods using a dichotomous naming key
Aim
To use a dichotomous key to identify arthropods.
Table of specimens
Figure 13
Figure 12
Figure 14
A
B
Figure 15
D
C
Figure 16
E
Figure 18
Figure 17
F
Figure 19
Figure 20
G
H
Figure 21
I
Figure 22
Figure 23
J
K
L
Table 1
Instructions
1. Study the organisms in the table of specimens provided to you.
2. Use the dichotomous key to find out to which taxonomic group each of these
arthropods belong.
3. Write the letter corresponding to the arthropod, and then your answer.
Characteristic
Instruction
1a
Arthropod has eight legs
go 2 (Arachnids)
1b
Arthropod does not have 8 legs
go 4
2a
Arachnid has pedipalp with pincers
SCORPION
Go 3
2b
Arachnid does not have pedipalp with pincers
TICK
3a
Arachnid drinks blood
3b
Arachnid does not drink blood
4a
Arthropod has more than 16 legs
Go 9 (Myriapoda)
4b
Arthropod does not have more than 16 legs
Go 5
5a
Arthropod has 3 pairs of legs
Go 6 (Insects)
5b
Arthropod does not 3 pairs of legs
CRUSTACEAN
SPIDER
COLEOPTERA
6a
Insect has hardened fore-wings
Go 7
6b
Insect does not have hardened fore-wings
HYMENOPTERA
7a
Insects are social and/ or live in a hive
Go 8
7b
Insects are not social, do not live in a hive
LEPIDOPTERA
8a
Insects does not have a sponge-like proboscis
8b
Insects have a sponge-like proboscis
DIPTERA
CENTIPEDE
9a
Myriapod with one pair of legs per segment
9b
Myriapod with two pairs of legs per segment
Table 2
MILLIPEDE