Question

What are the advantages and disadvantages of five kingdom classification?

Answer 1

Hint: The system of organising living organisms into different groups on the basis of their similarities and differences is called classification. The organisms showing similarities are organised into the same groups. Classification helps to study a variety of organisms in an easy and systematic manner. The five kingdom classification was given by R.H.Whittaker in 1969.

Complete answer:
The five kingdom classification groups the organism into five kingdoms.
These five kingdoms are:
• Kingdom Monera
• Kingdom Protista
• Kingdom Fungi
• Kingdom Plantae
•Kingdom Animalia

The five kingdom classification has many advantages and disadvantages which are as follows:
Advantages of five kingdom classification include:
• Five kingdom classification is better and more natural than two kingdom classification.
• It places the unicellular and multicellular organisms separately.
• It places the autotrophs and heterotrophs separately.
• It places the fungi in a separate group (kingdom Fungi) as it has a different mode of nutrition.
• It places the prokaryotes in a separate group (kingdom Monera).

Disadvantages of five kingdom classification include:
• It puts unicellular algae in kingdom Protista but multicellular algae in kingdom plantae. However, both the organisms must belong to the same group.
• Thus organisms showing similarities are placed quite apart. For example unicellular and multicellular algae.
• Many organisms with dissimilarities have been put together in kingdom Protista. This leads to diversity in kingdom Protista.
• Viruses are entirely excluded from the five kingdom classification system.

Note: The five kingdom classification was introduced by R.H.Whittaker. The system offers many advantages like it groups the unicellular and multicellular, autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms, and fungi and prokaryotes separately. However, the system has many limitations particularly in classifying the lower organisms.