Plant Kingdom: Characteristics and Classification

• The Plant Kingdom includes all plants
• Plants are eukaryotic, multicellular, and autotrophic organisms
• Plant cells have a rigid cell wall
• Plants have chloroplast and chlorophyll pigment for photosynthesis

Characteristics of Kingdom Plantae

• They are non-motile
• They make their own food and are called autotrophs
• They reproduce asexually or sexually
• Plant cells are multicellular eukaryotes with an outer cell wall and a large central vacuole
• They contain chlorophyll in plastids for photosynthesis
• They have different organelles for anchorage, reproduction, and photosynthesis

Classification of Kingdom Plantae

• Plant body: presence or absence of well-differentiated plant body (e.g., root, stem, and leaves)
• Vascular system: presence or absence of a vascular system for water and substance transportation (e.g., phloem and xylem)
• Seed formation: presence or absence of flowers and seeds, whether seeds are naked or enclosed

Plant Kingdom Subgroups

• Thallophyta
• Bryophyta
• Pteridophyta
• Gymnosperms
• Angiosperms

Thallophyta

• Includes simple plants like algae with primitive body structures
• They can be thread-like, colonial, or branched
• Examples: seaweeds and green algae like Spirogyra and Volvox

Bryophyta

• Simple land plants without vascular tissues, including mosses and liverworts
• They have basic stem-like and leaf-like structures
• They thrive in moist, shady areas and need water for reproduction
• Called "amphibians of the plant kingdom"

Pteridophyta

• Plants with well-developed roots, stems, and leaves
• Have a system to transport water and nutrients.
• Examples: Selaginella, Equisetum, and Pteris

Gymnosperms

• Plants with well-developed roots, stems, and leaves
• They possess vascular tissues
• They produce seeds that are not enclosed in fruits
• Examples: Cycas, Pinus, and Ephedra

Angiosperms

• Plants with well-developed roots, stems and leaves
• They produce seeds enclosed within fruits or flowers
• Examples: roses, orchids, mangoes, and wheat

Minimizing Human Impact in the Environment

• Protects human health by reducing respiratory diseases, cancer, and other health problems caused by pollution
• Slows down climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel use and deforestation
• Enhances quality of life through green spaces, clean air, and healthy environments
• Ensures sustainable resources by preventing overconsumption of water, forests, and fossil fuels
• Prevents natural disasters with nature helping maintain balance and prevents extreme weather conditions

Simple things you can do to protect the Earth

• Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
• Plant trees
• Educate
• Do some gardening
• Volunteer for cleanups in your community
• Conserve water

Protozoans

• Protozoans are single-celled, eukaryotic microorganisms in the kingdom Protista
• Their size typically ranges from 1-1000 micrometers

Characteristics of Protozoans

• Single-celled
• Eukaryotic (have a true nucleus)
• Mobile (use flagella, cilia, or pseudopodia)
• Heterotrophic (cannot produce own food)
• Aquatic or parasitic lifestyle

Protozoans role in ecosystem

• Decomposition (process of breaking down substances)
• Food source for other organisms
• Parasitism (one organism benefits while the other is harmed)

Advantage of biodiversity in maintaining the stability of an ecosystem

• Predator-Prey Balance: diverse predators and prey prevent one species from dominating
• Ecosystem Engineering: some species modify environments, creating habitats and maintaining ecosystem structure
• Competitive Exclusion: different species compete for resources, preventing any one species from monopolizing the ecosystem

Hierarchical Taxonomic System

• Method of organizing and categorizing living organisms into different levels of classification.
• Categories arranged in a series of levels from highest to lowest

Carolus Linnaeus

• Developed the Linnean system in "Systema Naturae" (1735)

Systema Naturae (1735) Included

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

Levels of Classification

• Domain: broadest category, includes all living organisms with fundamental characteristics, the highest level in the Hierarchical Taxonomic System
• Kingdom: ranks below Domain; broad category grouping organisms by cell structure, body organization, and metabolism
• Phylum: ranks below Kingdom, taxonomic rank grouping organisms by body structure and development
• Class: ranks below Phylum, taxonomic rank grouping organisms by shared physical characteristics and evolutionary relationships
• Family: ranks below Order and above Genus, taxonomic rank grouping organisms based on shared physical characteristics and relationships
• Order: ranks below Class, taxonomic rank grouping organisms based on shared physical characteristics and evolutionary relationships
• Genus: ranks below Family and above Species, taxonomic rank grouping organisms based on shared physical characteristics and evolutionary relationships
• Species: most specific level, taxonomic rank grouping organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring

Phylogenetic Species Concept

• Defines species based on shared evolutionary history
• Uses Phylogenetic trees to identify distinct lineages.
• Ex, The African Elephant and The Asian Elephant are different because they belong to distinct evolutionary lineages.

Biological Species Concept

• Defines species as groups of interbreeding populations reproductively isolated from others
• Ex, Lions and tigers do not interbreed in the wild and are reproductively isolated are different species

Recognition Species Concept

• Defines species based on the ability of individuals to recognize and mate with members of the same species
• Ex, European robins and American robins have distinct mating behaviors and do not interbreed, and are different species

Genetic Species Concept

• Defines species based on genetic differences, using data to identify distinct species
• Ex, The western lowland gorilla and the eastern lowland gorilla (gorilla beringei) different species because of distinct genetic differences

Typological Species Concept

• Defines species based on shared characteristics, assuming a fixed, idealized form
• Ex, Horse defined by body shape, size, and coat color

Morphological Species Concept

• Defines species based on physical shape, size and structure
• Ex, wolf vs. Ethiopian Wolf based on coat and body size

Ecological Species Concept

• Defines species based on occupation of a specific ecological niche.
• Ex, Desert kangaroo rat and Grassland kangaroo rat, occupy different ecological niches and are different species.

Animal Kingdom

• A vast group of multicellular, eukaryotic and heterotrophic organisms

Characteristics of the Animal Kingdom

• Multicellularity
• Sense organ
• Heterotrophy

Phylum Chordata

• Includes the most well known and diverse groups of organisms

Characteristics of Chordata

• Notochord
• Dorsal nerve cord
• Post-anal tail

Examples of Chordata

• Vertebrates
• Cephalochordata
• Urochordata

Phylum Arthropoda

• A vast and diverse phylum that includes some of the most common creatures on the planet

Characteristics of Arthropoda

• Jointed appendages
• Exoskeleton
• Segmented body

Examples of Arthropoda

• Insects

Mollusca

• Phylum of invertebrate animals that includes a wide range of species from squishy sea creatures

Characteristics of Mollusca

• Soft and unsegmented body
• Mantle
• Foot
• Radula

Examples of Mollusca

• Gastropods
• Bivalves
• Acalphophorans

Echinodermata

• Phylum of marine animals, includes some of the most iconic creatures in the Ocean

Characteristics of Echinodermata

• Radial symmetry
• Spiny skin
• Water vascular system
• Tube feet

Examples of Echinodermata

• Starfish
• Sea Urchins