Whittaker five-kingdom system

E196714

The Whittaker five-kingdom system is a biological classification scheme that organizes all life into five major kingdoms—Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia—based primarily on cellular organization and modes of nutrition.

All labels observed (2)

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf biological classification system
kingdom-level classification scheme
aimedToSeparate fungi from plants
unicellular eukaryotes from plants and animals
appliesTo all known life forms (at time of proposal)
basedOn cellular organization
ecological role
mode of nutrition
classificationLevel above phylum
contrastsWith three-domain system of Carl Woese
criterionForAnimalia eukaryotic, ingestive heterotrophy
criterionForFungi eukaryotic, absorptive heterotrophy
criterionForMonera prokaryotic cell organization
criterionForPlantae eukaryotic, photosynthetic autotrophy
criterionForProtista mostly unicellular eukaryotic organization
distinguishes prokaryotes from eukaryotes
doesNotRecognize Archaea as separate from Bacteria
emphasizes ecological relationships
nutritional strategies
field biological taxonomy
systematics
focusesOn phenotypic traits
groupsMulticellularHeterotrophsByAbsorptionIn Fungi
groupsMulticellularHeterotrophsByIngestionIn Animalia
groupsMulticellularPhotosyntheticOrganismsIn Plantae
groupsProkaryotesIn Monera
groupsUnicellularEukaryotesIn Protista
hasKingdom Animalia
Fungi
Monera
Plantae
Protista
historicalStatus widely taught in late 20th century
influenced later multi-kingdom and domain systems
introducedInYear 1969
languageOfOriginalPublication English
lessBasedOn molecular phylogenetics
originalArticleTitle Whittaker five-kingdom system self-linksurface differs
surface form: New concepts of kingdoms of organisms
originalArticleYear 1969
proposedBy R. H. Whittaker
surface form: Robert H. Whittaker
publishedIn Science (journal)
replacedEarlierSystem four-kingdom system
three-kingdom system
two-kingdom system
supersededInModernSystematicsBy three-domain system
treatsBacteriaAndArchaeaAs single kingdom Monera
usedIn introductory college biology
school biology curricula

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Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Monera partOfSystem Whittaker five-kingdom system
Whittaker five-kingdom system originalArticleTitle Whittaker five-kingdom system self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: New concepts of kingdoms of organisms