NAME AND SURNAME:
STUDENT NUMBER:
MODULE CODE:
NST1501
ASSIGNMENT NUMBER:
02 (PORTFOLIO)
UNIQUE NUMBER:
675867
,QUESTION 1
1.1.) The characteristics of kingdom Protista, Plantae, fungi and Animalia:
Characteristics of kingdom Protista:
a) Protista are eukaryotic organisms that have cells with nuclei but are not an animal, plant or
fungus.
b) Protista do not form a natural group, or colony.
c) They are composed of organisms which are unicellular or unicellular- colonial and which
form no tissues.
d) They may reproduce through asexual or sexual means, be autotrophs or heterotrophs.
e) Protista are diverse. They include organisms such as seaweeds, diatoms, amoebas, disease –causing
organisms such as plasmodium, which causes malaria.
Characteristics of kingdom Plantae:
a) They are non-motile.
b) They usually reproduce sexually.
c) Plant adaptations include roots, leaves, vascular system.
d) They are multicellular eukaryotes with cell wall and vacuoles.
e) They follow the autotrophic mode of nutrition.
f) They contain photosynthetic pigments called chlorophyll in the plastids.
g) They have different organelles for anchorage, reproduction, support and photosynthesis.
Characteristics of kingdom fungi:
a) Fungi are eukaryotic, and heterotrophic organisms.
b) They may be unicellular.
c) They reproduce by means of spores.
d) Fungi lack chlorophyll and therefore cannot perform photosynthesis.
e) Fungi stores their food in form of starch.
f) The nuclei of the fungi are very small.
g) During mitosis, the nuclear envelope is not dissolved.
h) The fungi have no embryonic stage, they develop from the spores.
i) The mode of reproduction is sexual or asexual.
j) Some fungi are parasitic and can infect the mass.
k) Fungi produce a chemical called pheromone which leads to sexual reproduction in
fungi.
l) For e.g. mushrooms, moulds, yeast.
Characteristics of Kingdom Animalia:
a) Kingdom Animalia id made up of all animals. It is the largest kingdom amongst the five
kingdoms.
b) Animals are multicellular eukaryotes.
c) They do not have a cell wall or chlorophyll like plants.
d) The members of animal kingdom have a heterotrophic mode of nutrition.
, e) Most reproduce sexually and are diploid during most of their cycles.
f) The gametes are the haploid stage of the life cycle.
g) Kingdom Animalia is further divided into smaller evolutionary groups such as Porifera,
Cnidaria, Platyhelminthes, Annelida, Arthropoda, Chordata.
1.2.) The Domains of life: Bacteria and Archaea:
Bacteria – They are single-celled organisms that usually live in a diverse environment. Bacterial
DNA called the nucleoid are a twisted thread-like mass that flows free. They even possess a
cellular structure that executes a range of circular functions that involves the transfer of energy
to the transportation of proteins. Bacteria consist of plasmids which are a circular piece of DNA.
The Bacterial cells consists of the inner cell membrane and an outer cell wall. Whereas some of
the bacteria do not possess cell wall such as mycoplasmas. In some cases, bacteria may consist of
a third protective outer layer in a cell called a capsule. Some bacteria are autotrophs which
means they photosynthesize. Others are heterotrophs which means they cannot
photosynthesize. Bacteria reproduce asexually by dividing, but most occasionally exchange some
genetic material. Bacteria vary in shape and some have flagella for locomotion.
Archaea – Archaea are not bacteria. They are single-celled organisms that comprise cells with
distinct properties that make them unique from the other two domains of life, namely eukarya
and bacteria. The archaea are further divided into multiple recognized phyla. The classification is
difficult because the majority has not been isolated in the laboratory and has only been detected
by analysis of their nucleic acids in samples from their environment. They use numerous source
of energy and display a diverse group of chemical reactions in metabolism. Based on their
reactions, they are categorized into nutritional groups. That is either dependent on carbon
sources and energy. Some group of archaea uses sunlight as a source of energy. They are termed
as phototrophs. But any of these organisms do not possess oxygen generating photosynthesis.
The
other forms of archaea use inorganic compounds as a source of energy, namely ammonia or
sulphur. They are a distinct domain of prokaryotic organisms. Similar to bacteria size and
simplicity but different in molecular organization. Some archaea are extremophiles that thrive
in harsh, salty, or very hot environments. Others are chemoautotrophs that make food using
chemical energy from molecules such as hydrogen sulfide.
STUDENT NUMBER:
MODULE CODE:
NST1501
ASSIGNMENT NUMBER:
02 (PORTFOLIO)
UNIQUE NUMBER:
675867
,QUESTION 1
1.1.) The characteristics of kingdom Protista, Plantae, fungi and Animalia:
Characteristics of kingdom Protista:
a) Protista are eukaryotic organisms that have cells with nuclei but are not an animal, plant or
fungus.
b) Protista do not form a natural group, or colony.
c) They are composed of organisms which are unicellular or unicellular- colonial and which
form no tissues.
d) They may reproduce through asexual or sexual means, be autotrophs or heterotrophs.
e) Protista are diverse. They include organisms such as seaweeds, diatoms, amoebas, disease –causing
organisms such as plasmodium, which causes malaria.
Characteristics of kingdom Plantae:
a) They are non-motile.
b) They usually reproduce sexually.
c) Plant adaptations include roots, leaves, vascular system.
d) They are multicellular eukaryotes with cell wall and vacuoles.
e) They follow the autotrophic mode of nutrition.
f) They contain photosynthetic pigments called chlorophyll in the plastids.
g) They have different organelles for anchorage, reproduction, support and photosynthesis.
Characteristics of kingdom fungi:
a) Fungi are eukaryotic, and heterotrophic organisms.
b) They may be unicellular.
c) They reproduce by means of spores.
d) Fungi lack chlorophyll and therefore cannot perform photosynthesis.
e) Fungi stores their food in form of starch.
f) The nuclei of the fungi are very small.
g) During mitosis, the nuclear envelope is not dissolved.
h) The fungi have no embryonic stage, they develop from the spores.
i) The mode of reproduction is sexual or asexual.
j) Some fungi are parasitic and can infect the mass.
k) Fungi produce a chemical called pheromone which leads to sexual reproduction in
fungi.
l) For e.g. mushrooms, moulds, yeast.
Characteristics of Kingdom Animalia:
a) Kingdom Animalia id made up of all animals. It is the largest kingdom amongst the five
kingdoms.
b) Animals are multicellular eukaryotes.
c) They do not have a cell wall or chlorophyll like plants.
d) The members of animal kingdom have a heterotrophic mode of nutrition.
, e) Most reproduce sexually and are diploid during most of their cycles.
f) The gametes are the haploid stage of the life cycle.
g) Kingdom Animalia is further divided into smaller evolutionary groups such as Porifera,
Cnidaria, Platyhelminthes, Annelida, Arthropoda, Chordata.
1.2.) The Domains of life: Bacteria and Archaea:
Bacteria – They are single-celled organisms that usually live in a diverse environment. Bacterial
DNA called the nucleoid are a twisted thread-like mass that flows free. They even possess a
cellular structure that executes a range of circular functions that involves the transfer of energy
to the transportation of proteins. Bacteria consist of plasmids which are a circular piece of DNA.
The Bacterial cells consists of the inner cell membrane and an outer cell wall. Whereas some of
the bacteria do not possess cell wall such as mycoplasmas. In some cases, bacteria may consist of
a third protective outer layer in a cell called a capsule. Some bacteria are autotrophs which
means they photosynthesize. Others are heterotrophs which means they cannot
photosynthesize. Bacteria reproduce asexually by dividing, but most occasionally exchange some
genetic material. Bacteria vary in shape and some have flagella for locomotion.
Archaea – Archaea are not bacteria. They are single-celled organisms that comprise cells with
distinct properties that make them unique from the other two domains of life, namely eukarya
and bacteria. The archaea are further divided into multiple recognized phyla. The classification is
difficult because the majority has not been isolated in the laboratory and has only been detected
by analysis of their nucleic acids in samples from their environment. They use numerous source
of energy and display a diverse group of chemical reactions in metabolism. Based on their
reactions, they are categorized into nutritional groups. That is either dependent on carbon
sources and energy. Some group of archaea uses sunlight as a source of energy. They are termed
as phototrophs. But any of these organisms do not possess oxygen generating photosynthesis.
The
other forms of archaea use inorganic compounds as a source of energy, namely ammonia or
sulphur. They are a distinct domain of prokaryotic organisms. Similar to bacteria size and
simplicity but different in molecular organization. Some archaea are extremophiles that thrive
in harsh, salty, or very hot environments. Others are chemoautotrophs that make food using
chemical energy from molecules such as hydrogen sulfide.
