Biologist Whittaker presented us with the Five Kingdom Grouping, which divides all living organisms into five territories: Protista, Monera, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia. The Five Kingdom Grouping is a classification system developed by biologist Whittaker. It is essential to understand more about the Kingdom Plantae, sometimes known as the plant kingdom, to gain a better understanding of plants.
Flowers are organelles found in some plants that are quite lovely to look at, but flowers are absent from others. In certain plants, you can see an adequate root system, shoot system, and leaves, however, in other plants, you can only see a thalloid structure, which is the most basic structure.
The Level of Classification is Grounded on the Following Three Criteria:
It is determined by the following three criteria which determine the level of classification:
- Plant Body: Whether or not the plant body has well-differentiated assemblies.
- The presence or absence of a plant’s vascular system, which is responsible for transporting chemicals.
- Seed Development: whether or not the plant allows for the production of flowers and seeds; if it does, whether or not the plant is surrounded by fruits.
Each group of plants has its own set of distinguishing and distinctive characteristics that are specific to that group. While the thallophytes are the greenest of the plants, the angiosperms are plants with a complex assembly and a circulatory system and reproductive system that are well-established in their respective families.
Plant Classification:
Taking all of these characteristics into consideration, the plant kingdom has been divided into five groupings. Their names of them are as follows:
- Thallophyta is the first of these.
- Bryophyta is the second group of organisms.
- Pteridophyta is the third group of organisms.
- Gymnosperms are a type of flowering plant.
- Angiosperms are a type of flowering plant.
Thallophyta
Thallophyta is a subset of plants that includes all plants with short and well-differentiated bodybuilding. Thallophyta includes all plants with short and well-differentiated bodybuilding. Thallophytes are commonly referred to as algae in the scientific community. Their appeal can be attributed to the fact that they are water-based. Spirogyra, Chara, Ulothrix, and other such characters are instances.
Thallophyta is divided into three groups:
Thallophyta is divided into two groups: Algae and Fungi. Algae are a type of algae, and Fungi are a type of fungus.
Algae
They are thalloid plants that possess chlorophyll. They are primarily autotrophic water plants. Additionally, it has been shown that green algae procedures have a symbiotic relationship with sloths, which are native to the lush tropical jungles of South and Central America and can be found in their natural habitat. Sloth fur is quite rough and has a high absorption rate for water. Sloth fur methods as a result provide a moist and humid environment for the growth of algae. The algae, in exchange, provide the sloth with additional nutrients while also serving as a disguise from predators. Take, for example, Spirogyra.
Fungi
They are heterotrophic thallophytes that are achlorophyllous (meaning that they do not produce chlorophyll). To offset this disadvantage, fungi may form a symbiotic connection with algae or a cyanobacterium on rare occasions. Because it contains chlorophyll, algae may produce food, and fungi, in exchange, provide a protective habitat that protects the algae from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Lichen is an example of two organisms working together as if they were a single entity.
Bryophyta
It is the second group of organisms.
In Bryophytes, distinguishable plant features such as leaf structures and stems are present. However, they do not have a circulatory system for transporting chemicals throughout the plant body. Bryophytes are plants that have evolved to live on both lands and in water, which is why they are referred to as amphibians of the plant kingdom. Mosses and Marchantia are examples of plants that fall within this subcategory.
The only distinguishing characteristic of a bryophyte is that it does not contain real vascular tissue. Some do have tissues that are employed to transport water, but these tissues are not regarded as real vascular tissue due to a lack of lignin in the tissues.
Bryophytes are said to have evolved from charophytes and are often regarded as the world’s first real plants to have been on the scene.
The life cycle of Bryophytes is the same as that of all other terrestrial plants (embryophytes), except for the fact that they reproduce every generation. A haploid gametophyte cell has a set number of unpaired chromosomes and is hence called a haploid. It promotes the growth of diploid sporophytes, which have double the number of paired chromosomes as haploid sporophytes. To produce diploid zygotes, haploid sperm and eggs produced by gametophytes must be fused. Diploid zygotes develop into a sporophyte after fertilisation.
Pteridophyta
Pteridophytes feature distinct structures such as a stem, root, leaves, and vascular tissue, which distinguishes them from other plants. Pteridophytes include plants such as ferns, horsetails, and Marsilea, to name a few examples.
Pteridophytes are divided into three groups:
- The family Lycopodiidae (mosses)
- The Selaginella are a family of lizards (spike mosses, quillworts)
- Polypodiopsida
The genus Ophioglossales (grape ferns, for instance) and the family Psilotidae include the following species:
- The Equisetinae are a family of horses (horsetails)
- The Polypodiidae are a family of insects (the most species-rich group, leptosporangiate ferns)
- The Marattiidae are a family of insects (marattia ferns)
Gymnosperms
Gymnosperms are plants that have a distinct plant body and vascular structure, as well as the ability to produce and store seeds. Gymno means “naked” in Greek, while spermatic means “seed.” The term is taken from two Greek words: gymno, which means “seed.” Gymnosperm seeds are “bare,” which implies that they are not enclosed within a fruit like the seeds of other plants. This group of trees includes the evergreen woody trees that remain consistent throughout the year. Pines, deodar, redwood, and other hardwoods are examples of products.
Angiosperms
Angiosperms are also seed-bearing plants having distinct plant bodies that are distinguishable from one another. The name is derived from the Greek terms angios, which means enclosed, and sperma, which means seed. Angiosperm seeds, in contrast to gymnosperm seeds, are enclosed within the fruits of the plant. Angiosperms are commonly referred to as flowering plants because of their ability to produce flowers. For example, it houses the mango tree, the pomegranate plant, and other fruit trees. Cotyledons, which are embryonic leaves, are responsible for the development of seeds.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the following characteristics distinguish the plant kingdom from other kingdoms:
- They are not able to move.
- They are referred to as autotrophs since they produce their nourishment.
- They can reproduce asexually through vegetative propagation or sexually through fertilisation.
- These are eukaryotes, which are multicellular organisms. The exterior cell wall of the plant cell, as well as a huge central vacuole, are found within it.
- Plants possess photosynthetic pigments known as chlorophyll, which are found in the plastids of the cells.
- They have organelles for anchoring, reproduction, support, and photosynthesis, which are all distinct from one another.