Each of the following characteristics represent a Kingdom proposed by Whittaker. Arrange the following in increasing order of complexity of body organization.
A. Multicellular heterotrophs with cell wall made of chitin.
B. Heterotrophs with tissue/organ/organ system level of body organization.
C. Prokaryotes with cell wall made of polysaccharides and amino acids.
D. Eukaryotic autotrophs with tissue/organ level of body organization.
E. Eukaryotes with cellular body organization
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Correct Answer :
C, E, A, D, B
Solution :
To arrange the given characteristics in the increasing order of complexity of body organization, let us first identify which of Whittaker's Five Kingdoms each description represents:
1. C. Prokaryotes with cell wall made of polysaccharides and amino acids: This represents Kingdom Monera (bacteria). They are unicellular prokaryotes, which have the simplest cellular and body organization.
2. E. Eukaryotes with cellular body organization: This represents Kingdom Protista. They are unicellular eukaryotes, representing a step up in complexity from prokaryotes due to the presence of a defined nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, but they still have a cellular level of organization.
3. A. Multicellular heterotrophs with cell wall made of chitin: This represents Kingdom Fungi. Fungi are multicellular eukaryotes with a simple mycelial (filamentous/multicellular) body organization, which is more complex than unicellular protists but lacks true tissue specialization.
4. D. Eukaryotic autotrophs with tissue/organ level of body organization: This represents Kingdom Plantae. Plants are autotrophic multicellular eukaryotes with distinct tissue and organ levels of organization (roots, stems, leaves).
5. B. Heterotrophs with tissue/organ/organ system level of body organization: This represents Kingdom Animalia. Animals are heterotrophic multicellular eukaryotes displaying the highest level of structural complexity, including tissue, organ, and complex organ system levels of body organization.
By arranging these kingdoms in increasing order of complexity of body organization, we get:
Monera (C) → Protista (E) → Fungi (A) → Plantae (D) → Animalia (B)
Therefore, the correct sequence is C, E, A, D, B.
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