Kingdom Plantae & Kingdom Animalia

Kingdom Plantae & Kingdom Animalia

You have often used the word plant or plants in your conversations. Can you reflect on what organisms you have referred to as plants? You will notice that plants occur in different forms and sizes. Plants include trees, shrubs, ferns, mosses, and grasses. All plants are multi
cellular.

Their cells are surrounded by a cellulose cell wall and have anucleus surrounded by a nuclear membrane. Their cells contain a green pigment known as chlorophyll that traps sunlight which the
plant uses to make its own food (photosynthesis). Plants are grouped in divisions. A division is an equivalent of a phylum:

Non-vascular plants (Bryophytes)
2. Vascular plants (Pteridophytes and Spermatophytes)

Bryophytes

This group includes mosses, liverworts and hornworts. They are small plants that commonly inhabit shady moist places. They bear stem and leaf-like structures but no roots. They have no vascular tissue and no flowers. Bryophytes break down rocks to form soil and they prevent soil erosion. However, they weaken cement and verandas and walls if left to stay on them for long.

Pteridophytes

This group includes ferns. They grow in damp shady places. They bear stems, leaves and roots. They have vascular tissues. They do not bear flowers.

Spermatophytes

This is a group of plants that bear seeds hence seed-bearing plants.
These include some trees, shrubs and herbs. They have a stem, leaves, roots and a well-developed vascular system.
Spermatophytes are divided into two groups:
1. Angiosperms (flowering plants)
2. Gymnosperms

Angiosperms

Flowering plants reproduce by seeds which are formed from flowers.
The seeds are enclosed in an ovary. Flowering plants are divided into two: monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants.
Monocotyledonous plants are flowering plants which have only one cotyledon in their seeds. Most have long, narrow leaves with parallel leaf veins. Their flowers have dull coloured petals in multiples of three. Examples include grasses, maize, millet, sorghum.
Dicotyledonous plants have two cotyledons in their seeds. Their leaves are usually broad and the leaf veins form a branching network. They have four or five brightly colored petals on each flower.
Examples include; beans, peas, groundnuts.

Gymnosperms

This group of plants does not bear flowers. Their seeds are not enclosed in an ovary hence these plants are sometimes referred to as “naked seed” bearing plants. They produce seeds on structures called cones. Most have needle-like leaves. Examples include pine trees, cyads and cypress.

Activity 3.4: Sorting and identifying organisms in kingdom plantae (Find in assignment section)

Kingdom Animalia

We usually tend to limit the word ‘animal’ to a few particular
organisms leaving out others. In this unit, you are going to learn what
organisms are classified as animals.
Animals are multicellular organisms. Their cells have no cell walls or
chloroplasts therefore they cannot make their own food. Most animals
ingest solid food and digest it internally.
The animal kingdom can be divided into 9 main groups (Phyla); eight of these groups are animals without a backbone (Invertebrates) and the other group comprises animals that have a backbone (Vertebrates).

Arthropods
This is the largest phylum in the animal kingdom. They live on land, in water and in air.
They have an exoskeleton that protects their bodies and prevents them from losing excessive water. Their bodies are segmented with pairs of jointed appendages (legs and
antennae). The segmented body eases movement. Arthropods consist of four classes:
• myriapods
• crustaceans
• arachnids
• insects

Myriapods
Examples

They have an elongated body with several segments. They have one pair of antennae.
They have several legs and simple eyes. Centipedes have one pair of legs on each body
segment. They have a poison claw used to kill its prey.
Millipedes have two pairs of legs on each body segment.
They contribute to soil fertility by barrowing in soil to aerate
the soil and add humus.

They live in water or in damp places. They have two main body divisions i.e. fused head/thorax and abdomen. They have two pairs of antennae and two compound eyes. They have five pairs of jointed legs and in some species the front pair is modified into claws or pincers.

They have two body parts i.e. fused head/thorax and abdomen. They all have four pairs of legs. They do not have antennae or wings. They have simple eyes and breathe by book lungs. Most arachnids are predators and live on land. The tick is a parasite and transmits disease in farm animals e.g. cattle.

Insects form the largest group in phylum Arthropoda. They can be found anywhere.
The insect’s body is divided into three distinct body parts, namely; head, thorax and abdomen. They have three pairs of jointed legs on the thorax. They have a pair of compound eyes except the soldier termites. Most adults have one or two pairs of wings. Some insects are harmful or useful or both harmful and useful to other organisms.

Activity 3.5: Classifying invertebrates (*Find in assignment section)

Fish live in water. Their bodies are covered with scales for protection and they have fins and tails for movement and stability in water. Fish are ectotherms. Fish use gills for gas exchange. Fish is food for many other animals.
Class Amphibia (amphibians)
Examples

For the first part of the life of amphibians they live in water and use gills for gas exchange. When they become adults they develop lungs and are able to live on land and return to water to mate and lay eggs.
They are also able to exchange gases through their soft moist skins.
There are no scales on the skin. Amphibians are ectotherms.

Most reptiles live on land. They have tough dry scales on their bodies which prevent loss of water and are for protection. They use lungs for gas exchange. Like fish and amphibians, reptiles are ectotherms.
Reptiles reproduce by laying eggs that have soft shells.

Birds are endothermic animals that live on land. They have feathers, beaks and scales on their legs. They reproduce by laying eggs with hard shells. Their fore limbs are modified into wings. Most birds are able to fly because of their powerful wings and light, strong bones.

Mammals are animals with hair or fur on their bodies. Like birds, mammals are endotherms. Most live on land except a few like the whale and dolphin. Mammals use lungs for gas exchange. Female
mammals give birth to live young and feed the young on their own milk produced by mammary glands.
Activity 3.6: Classifying chordates
What you need
Pictures of goat, rat, bat, elephant, human, whale, tortoise, python, gecko, crocodile, crested crane, crow, duck, ostrich, tilapia, shark, catfish, toad, frog, salamander

What to Do
Construct a flow chart for any six organisms in the pictures using their observable characteristics.
Viruses
Viruses though not living things exist in nature. Viruses are not classified under any of the five kingdoms. A virus is a very small microscopic biological particle that infects cells. Like other living
cells, a virus has genetic materials and multiplies inside living cells.
Viruses can infect and cause deadly diseases to humans, plants and other organisms, for example, AIDS, Hepatitis B and Ebola in man, Cassava Mosaic in cassava plants.

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is what causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) disease. The virus weakens the immune system of the infected person making it easy to catch diseases e.g. TB (tuberculosis). The virus is transmitted through: having unprotected sex with an infected person, infected injections, blood transfusion from an infected person and from an infected mother to her child during pregnancy or birth.
Today, there is no scientifically known cure for AIDS but there are drugs that can make an infected person’s immunity stronger allowing him/her to live a longer and productive life. The most effective way to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS is abstinence from sex more
especially among people who are not in a permanent adult relationship. Hepatitis B and Ebola are transmitted through body contact with fluids from infected persons e.g. kissing. You need to understand that viral diseases are difficult to treat or have no treatment at all. Hepatitis B can be prevented by vaccination; however, Ebola and HIV have no vaccine.
The cassava mosaic virus affects the tubers of the plant resulting in low crop yields. This virus causes the cassava mosaic virus disease. It can be recognized on the cassava leaves which have spots ranging from light green to yellow. The disease is transmitted from plant to plant by the whitefly.

This disease cannot be cured but it can be avoided. The cassava
mosaic virus disease can be prevented by the use of cuttings which
have not been attacked by the virus. Farmers are particularly
encouraged to plant varieties which are resistant to the disease.
Activity 3.7: Comparing the characteristics of a virus and bacterium
What you need
i) Chart comparing viruses to bacteria
ii) Pen/pencil

iii) Biology textbooks
iv) Notebook
v) Internet
Study the chart provided, and answer the questions that follow.

Compare viruses and bacteria using the information in the chart.
2. Read, discuss and write down short notes on common diseases caused by bacteria and viruses in humans, plants and other animals.
Chapter Summary
• Classification involves naming and grouping of living organisms according to characteristics.
• There are seven main levels/groups of classification. The largest group being the kingdom and the smallest is species.

Living organisms are grouped in five kingdoms namely: bacteria, protists, fungi, plants and animals.
• The scientific name of an organism has two parts i.e. the genus name and the species name.