Five Kingdom Classification Proposed by R.H Whittaker (1969) | Classification

Criterion for classification: Proposed by  R.H Whittaker (1969). The main group represented in the animal kingdom are sponges, coelenterates, annelids, arthropods, molluscs, mammals, reptiles, fishes, amphibians and birds. 

a) Complexity of cell structure: prokaryotic and Eukaryotic. 

b) Complexity of organisms: Unicellular or multicellular.

c) Mode of nutrition: Plantae (autotrophs), Fungi (heterotrophs and saprobic absorption, Animalia (heterotrophs and ingestion).

d) Life style: Producers (Plantae), Consumers (Animalia), Decomposers (Fungi).

e) Phylogenetic relationships: prokaryotes to eukaryotes, unicellular to multicellular organisms.


1. Kingdom Monera :Bacteria, Cyano bacteria (Blue green algae)  
Cell structure: Unicelled prokaryotes
Nutrition: Absorptive or photosynthetic
Movement: By flagella (tubulin)
Reproduction: Asexual

2. Kingdom Protista (protozoans
Phytoplankton, Zooplankton )
Cell structure :Unicelled eukaryotes
Nutrition :Absorptive, photosynthetic
Movement :By flagella, cilia, streaming
Reproduction: Both asexual and sexual

3. Kingdom Fungi : Yeasts(Unicellular) moulds, mushrooms.
Multicelled eukaryotes
Cell structure :Chitinous cell wall
Nutrition :heterotrophic, Absorptive, Saprobic
Movement : Non-motile
Reproduction: Both asexual and sexual

4. Kingdom Plantae (Algae, Bryophytes, ferns, gymnosperms, Multicelled eukaryotes)
Cell structure: cellulosic cell wall, presence of plastids
Nutrition :Autotrophic
Movement :Non-motile
Reproduction :Both asexual and sexual

5. Kingdom Animalia (Sponges, Invertebrates, vertebrates ,Multicelled eukaryotes)
Cell structure :without cell wall, and plastids
Nutrition :Heterotrophic
Movement :Highly motile
Reproduction: Both asexual and sexual

Five Kingdom Classification Proposed by  R.H Whittaker (1969)

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