Biological Classification

Vocabulary flashcards covering early classification attempts, historical kingdom systems, their drawbacks, and R.H. Whittaker's 5-Kingdom system.

Aristotle

Founder of taxonomy who made the earliest attempt to classify organisms into animals (Enima and Anima) and plants (herb, shrub, tree) using morphological characters.

Enima

In Aristotle's animal classification, the group of animals that possess red fluid.

Anima

In Aristotle's animal classification, the group of animals that do not possess red fluid.

Carolus Linnaeus

The scientist who proposed the 2-Kingdom system, dividing living organisms into Kingdom Plantae and Kingdom Animalia.

2-Kingdom System Criteria

The five characteristics evaluated by Linnaeus: Response to external stimulus, Mode of Nutrition, Locomotion, Cell wall, and Contractile vacuole.

Heckel (Ernst Haeckel)

The scientist who proposed the 3-Kingdom classification system, which added Kingdom Protista alongside Plantae and Animalia.

Copeland

The scientist who proposed the 4-Kingdom classification system, adding Kingdom Monera to Plantae, Animalia, and Protista.

R.H. Whittaker

The scientist who proposed the 5-Kingdom classification system in 1969, consisting of Plantae, Animalia, Protista, Monera, and Fungi.

Basis of 5-Kingdom Classification

The five criteria used by R.H. Whittaker: Mode of Nutrition, Body organisation, Reproduction, Phylogenetic relationship, and Cell structure.

Drawbacks of Earlier Classification

Grouped prokaryotes with eukaryotes (e.g., Blue green Algae with green Algae), unicellular with multicellular organisms (e.g., Chlamydomonas and Chlorella with Spirogyra), and autotrophs with heterotrophs (e.g., Plants with Fungi).

Improvements in R.H. Whittaker's Classification

Separated prokaryotes from eukaryotes, unicellular from multicellular organisms, and autotrophs from heterotrophs.