Question

Explain the basis for grouping of organisms into five kingdoms.

Answer 1

Hint: The organisms are classified on the basis of their characteristics into domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species. Further the organisms are divided into five kingdoms.

Complete answer:
To solve this question, we have to first understand the five kingdoms. The five kingdoms includes; Monera, Protista, fungi, plantae, and animalia. The Monera is divided into bacteria, cyanobacteria, and archaebacteria. Kingdom Protista includes members that are aquatic and have nucleated cells. Kingdom fungi include yeast, moulds, mushrooms, etc. they are filamentous, have long thread-like structure called hyphae, have a cell wall composed of chitin. The kingdom plantae includes all the plants. They are eukaryotic, autotrophic, composed of cell walls made of cellulose. Lastly, kingdom animalia includes all the animals. They are eukaryotic, heterotrophic, and do not have a cell wall. In five kingdom classification the animals are grouped on the basis of cell structure; either eukaryotic cell structure or prokaryotic cell structure. The next is the number of cells; either the organism is unicellular or multicellular. And the final basis of classification is mode of source of nutrition and cell wall; the organism either heterotrophic without cell wall or autotrophic with cell wall.

Note: The kingdom Monera covers all the prokaryotic organisms and the rest all belong to other kingdoms. Kingdom Protista covers all the unicellular organisms and the rest all belong to other kingdoms. Fungi are heterotrophic in nature with cell walls and belong to the kingdom Fungi.