COURSE TITLE: BASIC BIOLOGY 2
COURSE CODE: BIO. 102
1. A GENERALIZE SURVEY OF THE PLANT KINGDOM
2. ECOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS OF PLANTS TO DIFFERENT
HABITATS
3. PHYSIOLOGICAL/LIFE PROCESSESS IN PLANTS, SUCH AS
NUTRITION, EXCRETION, RESPIRATION ETC.
4. GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN PLANTS
1
,OUTLINE 1 (SURVEY OF THE PLANT KINGDOM)
CLASSIFICATION OF LIVING ORGANISMS
In the year 1969, an American Ecologist Robert Harding Whittaker grouped living
things into five-kingdoms based on the following criteria:
1. The cell structure of the organism
2. The mode of nutrition of the organism
3. The source of nutrition of the organism
4. The body organisation of the organism.
Based on the above, the five kingdom classification proposed by R. H. Whittaker
in 1969 divided living organisms into five kingdoms:
1. Kingdom Monera (Bacteria & Cyanobacteria)
2. Kingdom Protista (Unicellular eukaryotes like Euglena, Paramecium, Spirogyra
etc.)
3. Kingdom Fungi (Fungi and Yeast)
4. Kingdom Plantae (Plants)
5. Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
KINGDOM PLANTAE
A plant is a photosynthetic organism growing in a permanent site and absorbing
water and inorganic substances through its root. Inorganic substances utilized by
plants are macro elements (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium), carbondioxide and
water.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM
1. They are multicellular eukaryotic organisms.
2. Their cell walls are made of cellulose
2
, 3. They are autotrophs, capable of performing the process of photosynthesis
4. They exhibit alternation of generations (a transition from haploid to diploid
chromosome)
5. They have specialized tissues called vascular bundles (Xylem and Phloem) for
transport of water and inorganic substances.
6. They possess protective features like cuticles and stroma
7. They reproduce both sexually (through spores and seeds) and asexually (through
vegetative propagation).
8. They provide oxygen, food and habitat.
CLASSIFICATION OF THE PLANT KINGDOM
Plants are classified based on the following criteria:
1. Plant Body (root, stem and leaves)
2. Vascular system (present or absent)
3. Seed formation (present or absent, or exposed or covered by a fruit).
Based on these three criteria above, plant kingdom is divided into five
subgroups namely:
1. Thallophyta (Algae): Algae are predominantly aquatic photosynthetic
organisms that are considered to be neither plant nor animals. The reason is
because some Algae are unicellular and microscopic while others are multicellular
and macroscopic. Unicellular and microscopic algae are grouped in the kingdom
Protista while the multicellular and macroscopic Algae are grouped into the
kingdom Plantae. Therefore, the Algae group called Thallophyta is comprised of
multicellular macroscopic organisms. Algae within the plant kingdom are further
grouped into three categories based on their photosynthetic pigment or colour
namely;
3
COURSE CODE: BIO. 102
1. A GENERALIZE SURVEY OF THE PLANT KINGDOM
2. ECOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS OF PLANTS TO DIFFERENT
HABITATS
3. PHYSIOLOGICAL/LIFE PROCESSESS IN PLANTS, SUCH AS
NUTRITION, EXCRETION, RESPIRATION ETC.
4. GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN PLANTS
1
,OUTLINE 1 (SURVEY OF THE PLANT KINGDOM)
CLASSIFICATION OF LIVING ORGANISMS
In the year 1969, an American Ecologist Robert Harding Whittaker grouped living
things into five-kingdoms based on the following criteria:
1. The cell structure of the organism
2. The mode of nutrition of the organism
3. The source of nutrition of the organism
4. The body organisation of the organism.
Based on the above, the five kingdom classification proposed by R. H. Whittaker
in 1969 divided living organisms into five kingdoms:
1. Kingdom Monera (Bacteria & Cyanobacteria)
2. Kingdom Protista (Unicellular eukaryotes like Euglena, Paramecium, Spirogyra
etc.)
3. Kingdom Fungi (Fungi and Yeast)
4. Kingdom Plantae (Plants)
5. Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
KINGDOM PLANTAE
A plant is a photosynthetic organism growing in a permanent site and absorbing
water and inorganic substances through its root. Inorganic substances utilized by
plants are macro elements (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium), carbondioxide and
water.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM
1. They are multicellular eukaryotic organisms.
2. Their cell walls are made of cellulose
2
, 3. They are autotrophs, capable of performing the process of photosynthesis
4. They exhibit alternation of generations (a transition from haploid to diploid
chromosome)
5. They have specialized tissues called vascular bundles (Xylem and Phloem) for
transport of water and inorganic substances.
6. They possess protective features like cuticles and stroma
7. They reproduce both sexually (through spores and seeds) and asexually (through
vegetative propagation).
8. They provide oxygen, food and habitat.
CLASSIFICATION OF THE PLANT KINGDOM
Plants are classified based on the following criteria:
1. Plant Body (root, stem and leaves)
2. Vascular system (present or absent)
3. Seed formation (present or absent, or exposed or covered by a fruit).
Based on these three criteria above, plant kingdom is divided into five
subgroups namely:
1. Thallophyta (Algae): Algae are predominantly aquatic photosynthetic
organisms that are considered to be neither plant nor animals. The reason is
because some Algae are unicellular and microscopic while others are multicellular
and macroscopic. Unicellular and microscopic algae are grouped in the kingdom
Protista while the multicellular and macroscopic Algae are grouped into the
kingdom Plantae. Therefore, the Algae group called Thallophyta is comprised of
multicellular macroscopic organisms. Algae within the plant kingdom are further
grouped into three categories based on their photosynthetic pigment or colour
namely;
3
