BACKGROUND:
The reasons for grouping organisms into
certain kingdoms are not always obvious. The development of the kingdom
classification dates back to Aristotle who divided organisms into animals and
plants. Today, specialists working with different phyla change classifications
when they derive more information. You must realize that we do not know all
there is to know about organisms. The 5 kingdom classification system was
first derived in the early 1960's, and there are many biologists today that
use a 6 kingdom division.
The Monera group is now broken up into 2
other Kingdoms, the Archeabacteria and the Eubacteria. Examples include
bacteria or blue-green algae. Monera as a group, have a very simple nucleus
and do not have a nuclear membrane. The Kingdom Protista is made up of
protozoa, consisting of one celled organisms, that have a well defined nuclear
membrane. Protozoa will eat their food and reproduce asexually more commonly
than sexually. The Fungi are characterized in that they lack chlorophyll and
absorb food from the surrounding ground. Fungi possess organs and reproduce by
sexual means (spores). The Plant Kingdom is characterized by its ability to
produce by either sexual or asexual means. The animal kingdom is divided into
invertebrates and vertebrates. To be an animal requires that an organism eat
its food and reproduce mainly by sexual means. Organs are much more developed
in the Animal Kingdom than the other kingdoms.
PROCEDURE:
- Discuss with students that living
organisms are grouped into kingdoms, making it easy for people to discuss the
various groupings. Either make a transparency or use the enclosed master as a
worksheet to illustrate the common phyla within each kingdom.
- You may want to use the following
summary:
