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  1. Glossary
  2. /Biology
  3. /Five Kingdom Classification

What is Five Kingdom Classification?

In short

The five kingdom classification, proposed by R. H. Whittaker, divides living things into Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia.

In simple words

It uses the type of cell (prokaryotic or eukaryotic), whether the body is one cell or many, how the organism gets its food, and how it reproduces. Monera are prokaryotes, including bacteria. Protista are single-celled eukaryotes, including amoeba and algae of one cell. Fungi absorb food from decaying matter. Plantae make their own food by photosynthesis. Animalia eat other organisms.

Example

A mushroom has a cell wall but no chlorophyll and feeds on dead matter, so it is placed in Fungi, not Plantae.

Also searched as: what are all the kingdoms in biology, kingdoms in biology, two kingdoms of bacteria.

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Related terms

  • Taxonomic Hierarchy
  • Binomial Nomenclature
  • Algae

← All glossary terms

Learn it in

  1. The Five Kingdoms and the BacteriaClass 11 to 12
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Practise

  1. Baker's yeast ( Saccharomyces ) and Candida, a yeast that can cause thrush, are single…Hard
  2. Use the table of the five kingdoms. (a) Which kingdoms can have autotrophic members? …Easy
  3. Use the simplified key to the five kingdoms for these organisms: Agaricus, the button…Medium
  4. An old museum from the 1850s labels its exhibits as Plant or Animal: a mushroom (Plant)…
Easy
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Quick questions

  1. Which of these was NOT used by Whittaker to make the five kingdoms?Medium
  2. Thermoacidophiles live inEasy
  3. In the two-kingdom system, fungi were put with the plants mainly because theyMedium

More Biology terms

  1. Bacteria
  2. Cell
  3. Cellular Respiration
  4. Diffusion and Osmosis
  5. DNA
  6. Ecosystem
All Biology terms →

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