Biological Classification: Overview, Topics, Five Kingdoms, Books, Tips, Questions

Biological classification or biological taxonomy is the scientific process of grouping living organisms based on common characteristics like morphology, physiology, genetics, and evolutionary patterns. It was given by Carl Linnaeus in the 18th century and further developed with the emergence of advances in molecular biology and systematics, The method gives the methodical naming, classification, and study of more than 8.7 million estimated species worldwide (Mora et al., 2011, PLoS Biology). In this chapter, students study classification systems such as the Five Kingdom classification by R.H. Whittaker in 1969 and learn about phylogenetic practices based on genetic information.

This Story also Contains

1. What is Biological Classification?
2. Important Topics of Biological Classification
3. The 5 Kingdom Classification System in Biology
4. Kingdom Monera
5. Kingdom Protista
6. Kingdom Fungi
7. Kingdom Plantae
8. Kingdom Animalia
9. Recommended Video on Biological Classification

What is Biological Classification?

Biological classification is scientifically defined as the science of categorising living things into hierarchical groups based on similarities and their evolutionary history. It facilitates the proper classification and prediction of characteristic features among species, making it easier for biologists to study and identify living organisms.

Important Topics of Biological Classification

The chapter on Biological Classification is a foundational part of Class 11 Biology and a high-weightage topic in NEET. It introduces students to the scientific method of classifying organisms based on similarities, structure, and evolutionary history. The important topics covered in this chapter include:

• Five Kingdom Classification
• Kingdom Monera, Protista and Fungi
• Plantae, Animalia and Viruses
• Important concepts - taxonomy, Nomenclature, basis of classification

Biological Taxonomy and Importance

Taxonomy serves to offer an international language amongst scientists. Hence, every organism boasts of a universally accepted and standard name by the use of binomial nomenclature. The study of biological taxonomy is important for biology class 11, biological classification and provides a base for more advanced concepts in biology. Biological taxonomy is the specific part of biology which deals with all classifications, nomenclature, and identification of organisms. Thus, biological taxonomy follows a well-defined hierarchy, which includes:

• Kingdom
• Phylum
• Class
• Order
• Family
• Genus
• Species

The importance of biological taxonomy is:

• Organises Vast Diversity – Helps in systematically categorising the tremendous diversity of living things into groups according to similarities and differences.
• Helps in Identification – Facilitates easy identification and study of organisms, particularly novel or unfamiliar species.
• Reveals Evolutionary Relationships – Explains how various organisms are connected by common descent and evolutionary history.
• Helps in Scientific Communication – Offers a global system of naming and classifying organisms, minimising confusion across languages and geographies.
• Research and Conservation – Helps biological research, environmental management, and biodiversity conservation.

The 5 Kingdom Classification System in Biology

The 5-kingdom classification system was developed by Robert Whittaker back in 1969. It categorises all the living organisms into five different kingdoms. All of them are discussed below in the table;

Kingdom Monera

Kingdom Monera is one of the five kingdoms of biological classification proposed by R.H. Whittaker in 1969. Kingdom Monera comprises all prokaryotic cells, which are mostly bacteria and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). All these organisms are unicellular, do not contain a true nucleus, and do not possess membrane-bound organelles. Bacteria are classified as members of the Monera Kingdom.

Characteristics of Monerans

They have the following important characteristics:

• Bacteria are minute organisms that can be found almost anywhere.
• They are prokaryotic and have a cell wall.
• Amino acids and carbohydrates make up the cell wall.
• Bacteria can grow in both heterotrophic and autotrophic environments.
• The bacteria that live in heterotrophic environments might be parasitic or saprophytic. Chemosynthetic or photosynthetic autotrophic microorganisms are both possible.

Bacterial Taxonomy

Bacterial Taxonomy classifies bacteria into different categories based on their characteristics. Such classification also helps one understand several diverse roles bacteria play in different ecosystems.

Monerans and bacteria are divided into four categories based on their shape:

Kingdom Protista

The Kingdom Protista has a diverse range of eukaryotic, primarily unicellular organisms that cannot be classified under any of the other kingdoms, such as Plantae, Animalia, or Fungi. These organisms possess a true nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, distinguishing them from prokaryotic Monerans.

They show diverse forms of nutrition autotrophy in the case of some algae, while heterotrophy in the case of others, such as protozoa. Some protists are motile and employ structures such as cilia, flagella, or pseudopodia to move. They are primarily aquatic, inhabiting freshwater or marine habitats, and are important in nutrient cycles and food webs. Some protists are also of clinical significance, producing diseases like malaria and amoebic dysentery.

Characteristics of Protista

The following are some of the most important characteristics of Protista:

• They are eukaryotic and unicellular creatures.
• For mobility, some of them contain cilia or flagella.
• Cell fusion and zygote formation are used in sexual reproduction.

Kingdom Protista Classification

Protista is divided into the following groups:

Kingdom Fungi

Kingdom Fungi contains a set of eukaryotic, predominantly multicellular (some unicellular) heterotrophic organisms that obtain nutrients from organic matter. Fungi do not, like plants, carry out photosynthesis. Instead, they excrete enzymes into the world around them in order to digest complex substances and take up simpler nutrients. This type of nutrition is saprophytic.

Fungi possess cell walls that contain the hard, nitrogenous polysaccharide chitin, which gives structural support. Their body consists of thread-like filaments named hyphae, which together form a network-like structure called mycelium.

They are propagated both by asexual (spores, budding) and sexual means, depending on the environmental conditions. Fungi are important decomposers, have symbiotic relationships such as mycorrhizae with plant roots, and find important uses in medicine, baking, brewing, and the production of antibiotics.

Characteristics of Fungi

The following are some of the most important characteristics of Fungi:

• The fungi, except yeast, are filamentous (single-celled).
• Hyphae are slender, long, thread-like structures that make up their form. Mycelium refers to the web of hyphae.
• Unbroken tubes jam-packed with multinucleated cytoplasm make up some of the hyphae. Coenocytic hyphae is the name given to such hyphae.
• The other form of hyphae is septae or cross-walls.
• Polysaccharides and chitin make up the cell wall of fungi.
• The majority of the fungi are heterotrophic saprophytes.
• Some fungi live as symbionts with other organisms. Some of them are parasitic. Some symbiotic fungi, such as lichens, exist in association with algae. As mycorrhiza, some symbiotic fungi live in connection with the roots of higher plants.

Kingdom Fungi Classification

Fungi are divided into the following groups:

NCERT Notes Subject Wise Link:

• NCERT notes Class 11 Maths
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• NCERT notes Class 11 Chemistry
• NCERT notes Class 11 Biology

Kingdom Plantae

Kingdom Plantae consists of all multicellular, autotrophic, and eukaryotic organisms which perform photosynthesis using chlorophyll. They are non-motile and possess cellulose cell walls. Plants are essential for sustaining life on the planet as they produce oxygen and also constitute the foundation of the food web.

They have a great diversity of forms, ranging from the simple algae to flowering plants. Alternation of generations is the typical characteristic exhibited by most plants, having haploid (gametophyte) and diploid (sporophyte) generations in their life cycle. Higher plants contain vascular tissues such as xylem and phloem for the efficient transport of water, minerals, and food. Plant life helps in stabilising ecosystems, providing shelter and habitat for a variety of organisms, and has immense ecological as well as economic importance.

Characteristics of Plantae

The following are some of the most important characteristics of Kingdom Plantae:

• All eukaryotes having chloroplasts belong to the kingdom Plantae.
• The majority of them are autotrophic, although some are also heterotrophic.
• Cellulose makes up the majority of the cell wall.
• Plants go through two stages in their life cycle. The saprophytic phase is diploid, and the gametophytic phase is haploid.
• The lengths of the diploid and haploid phases differ between different plant families. This process is known as the Alternation of Generation.

Classification of Plants

The biological classification of plants divides them into groups based on whether the plants produce seeds, vascular tissues, and reproductive parts. The major plant types are as follows:

Kingdom Animalia

Kingdom Animalia contains a huge collection of multicellular, eukaryotic, and heterotrophic organisms that need other organisms for their nutrition. They do not contain cell walls like plants and do not undergo photosynthesis. They possess an advanced nervous and muscular system, which helps them move and respond to stimuli.

The majority of animals are sexually reproductive, and their life cycle involves the development of a zygote into a sophisticated, multicellular organism. Animals are grouped according to body symmetry, organisation level, whether they have a coelom (body cavity), and embryonic layer types.

They live in a broad variety of environments—terrestrial, aquatic, aerial, and parasitic. Animals are very important in ecological balance through their involvement in food chains, pollination, seed dispersal, and nutrient cycling. They also possess a huge economic importance as a source of food, labour, clothing materials (wool, silk, leather), and companionship (domestic animals).

Characteristics of Animalia

The following are some of the most important characteristics of the Kingdom Animalia:

• This kingdom has all heterotrophic multicellular eukaryotes that lack a cell wall.
• Plants provide nourishment to animals either directly or indirectly. Their feeding mode is holozoic.
• Many of the animals are capable of moving about.
• They reproduce through sexual reproduction.

Classification of Animals

The animal kingdom is a broad group of organisms, ranging from simpler invertebrates to more complex vertebrates.

Read more:

• Angiosperm and Gymnosperm Difference
• Fungus Life Cycle
• Classification of Virus

Recommended Video on Biological Classification