MediumBiologyHigh School (9–10)GeneralDiversity of Living Organisms › Classification of Living OrganismsDiversity of Living Organisms › Plant and Animal KingdomsConceptual
A bracket fungus grows like a shelf on a dead tree trunk.
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A bracket fungus grows like a shelf on a dead tree trunk. A student says that it is a plant, because it does not move and its cells have walls. Give three reasons why it is not a plant.
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
Whittaker's five kingdoms. Monera: no true nucleus, one cell. Protista: a nucleus, one cell. Fungi: a nucleus, a wall of chitin, feed on dead matter. Plantae: many cells, a wall of cellulose, make food. Animalia: many cells, no wall, get food from others.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Colour. It has no chlorophyll, so it cannot make food by photosynthesis.
Step 2. Food. It feeds on the dead wood of the trunk. It is a saprophyte, a heterotroph.
Step 3. The wall. Its cell wall is made of chitin, not cellulose.
Answer: it has no chlorophyll, it feeds on dead matter, and its wall is chitin. It is a fungus.
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