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Biological Classification for NEET UG

Whittaker's five-kingdom system groups life by cell type, body organisation and nutrition. This chapter also covers viruses, viroids and lichens, which don't fit neatly anywhere.

BiologyClass 1176 MCQs3 lessons13 flashcards3 memory tricks

Practise Biological Classification free

What you'll learn

  1. The five kingdoms
    Compare the five kingdoms by cell type, organisation and nutrition.
  2. Monera and Protista
    Describe the main groups of bacteria and protists with examples.
  3. Fungi, viruses, viroids and lichens
    Classify fungi into their groups and describe acellular agents and lichens.

Memory tricks

Whittaker's five kingdomsMy Papa Feeds Poor Animals.

Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia, based on cell type, body organisation, mode of nutrition, reproduction and phylogeny.

Virus, viroid, prionA viroid goes out in the monsoon without a raincoat: naked RNA, no protein coat.

Virus: nucleic acid plus protein coat. Viroid: free RNA only (potato spindle tuber disease). Prion: protein only (mad cow disease, CJD).

Fungal classesAsco = sac, Basidio = club (think of a mushroom), Deutero = imperfect, no sexual stage known.

Ascomycetes: yeast, Penicillium, Neurospora. Basidiomycetes: mushrooms, rusts, smuts. Deuteromycetes: Alternaria, Trichoderma. Phycomycetes: Mucor, Rhizopus, Albugo.

Try 3 NEET-style questions

Q1. The five-kingdom system of classification was proposed by

  1. Carolus Linnaeus
  2. R.H. Whittaker
  3. Charles Darwin
  4. Ernst Mayr
Show answer

Answer: (2) R.H. Whittaker

R.H. Whittaker (1969) proposed five kingdoms: Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia, based on cell structure, body organisation, nutrition, reproduction and phylogeny.

Q2. Rhizopus (bread mould) belongs to the class

  1. Ascomycetes
  2. Basidiomycetes
  3. Deuteromycetes
  4. Phycomycetes
Show answer

Answer: (4) Phycomycetes

Phycomycetes have aseptate, coenocytic mycelium and form spores in sporangia. Mucor, Rhizopus and Albugo are examples.

Q3. Agaricus and Ustilago are, respectively,

  1. a mushroom and a smut
  2. a rust and a mushroom
  3. a yeast and a smut
  4. a bread mould and a rust
Show answer

Answer: (1) a mushroom and a smut

Common basidiomycetes are Agaricus (mushroom), Ustilago (smut) and Puccinia (rust).

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More Biology chapters (Class 11)

The Living World · Plant Kingdom · Animal Kingdom · Morphology of Flowering Plants · Anatomy of Flowering Plants · Structural Organisation in Animals · Cell: The Unit of Life · Biomolecules · Cell Cycle and Cell Division · Photosynthesis in Higher Plants · Respiration in Plants · Plant Growth and Development · Breathing and Exchange of Gases · Body Fluids and Circulation · Excretory Products and their Elimination · Locomotion and Movement · Neural Control and Coordination · Chemical Coordination and Integration