This presentation explains Whittaker's five kingdom classification.

1. WHITTAKER’S
FIVE KINGDOM CLASSIFICATION
Presented by,
A Raihanathus Sahdhiyya

2. Five Kingdom system
• RH Whittaker (1969)
• Main criteria:
Cellular organization
(Prokaryote/ Eukaryote)
(Unicellular / Multicellular)
Mode of nutrition
(Absorption/ Ingestion/
Photoautotrophic)
Reproduction
(Sexual/ Asexual)

3. Kingdom Monera
• Unicellular, Prokaryotic organisms
• Bacteria – Sole members of this kingdom
• Live in diverse habitats, most abundant
• Grouped under 4 categories:
Cocci, Bacilli, Spirilla, Vibrio
• Metabolic diversity of Bacteria:
- Autotrophic
> Photoautotrophic
> Chemoautotrophic
- Heterotrophic
• Subgroups: Archaebacteria, Eubacteria
• Eg: Bacteria, Blue green algae

4. Kingdom Protista
• All single celled Eukaryotes are placed under Protista
• They are primarily Aquatic
• Cell body contains well defined nucleus, and
other membrane bound organelles
• Some protistan have flagella / cilia for motility
• Reproduce Asexually & Sexually
• Includes Chrysophytes, Dinoflagellates, Euglenoids, Slime
moulds, and Protozoan
• Eg: Amoeba, Euglena, Paramecium

5. Kingdom Fungi
• Heterotrophic organisms
• Show great diversity in morphology and habitat
• They are cosmopolitan, occurring in air, soil, water, on plants
& animals
• They prefer to grow in warm and humid places
• Fungi are filamentous (except Yeast),
comprising of slender, long thread like
constructions called Hyphae.
Mass of hyphae called as Mycelium
• Cell wall - Chitin & Polysaccharides

6. Fungi
• Most are heterotrophic, and absorb soluble organic matter
from dead substrates (Saprophytes).
• Some are Parasitic depending on other plants & animals
• Some are Symbionts. Lichens (in association with algae),
Mycorrhiza (with roots of higher plants)
• Reproduction – Vegetative (fragmentation, fission, budding)/
Asexual ( Spores) / Sexual
• Eg: Yeast (unicellular), Moulds, Mushroom

7. Kingdom plantae
• All eukaryotic chlorophyll containing organisms – Plants
• Some are partially heterotrophic (insectivorous plants -Venus
flytrap and parasites - Cascuta)
• Cell wall mainly made up of Cellulose
• Reproduce through asexual vegetative
propagation / by sexual reproduction
• Plantae includes algae, bryophytes,
pteridophytes, gymnosperms & angiosperms

8. Kingdom Animalia
• Eukaryotic organisms
• Heterotrophic, depending on other organism for food
• Multicellular and lacks cell wall
• Mode of nutrition is Holozoic – ingestion of food
• Most of them are capable of locomotion
• Reproduces sexually
• Eg: Birds, animals, human