Question

R.H. Whittaker proposed a five-kingdom system of classification that is not based on which of the following option/options?

• A. Presence or absence of a well-defined nucleus.
• B. Mode of nutrition
• C. The complexity of body organization
• D. Mode of reproduction

Answer 1

The correct option is A

Presence or absence of a well-defined nucleus.

The correct option is A.

Explanation for the correct option:

1. In 1969, R.H. Whittaker suggested categorizing living organisms on the basis of a five-kingdom classification.
2. Certain characteristics, such as mode of nourishment, cell structure, evolutionary relationships, thallus organization, and reproduction, were used to classify the organisms.
3. Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia are the five kingdoms classified in this way.

Explanation for the incorrect options:

Option B:

1. The mode of nutrition is not one of the criteria used by R.H. Whittaker for classifying living organisms.
2. The mode of nutrition refers to the method of obtaining food.
3. There are mainly two modes of nutrition: autotrophic and heterotrophic.
4. Autotrophic nutrition refers to when an organism prepares its own food and is not reliant on any other creature.
5. Heterotrophic nutrition refers to when an organism is unable to prepare its own food and must rely on plants or other creatures for sustenance.

Option C:

1. The complexity of body organization is also not one of the criteria used by R.H. Whittaker for classifying living organisms.
2. Cells are the most complex part of an organism's structure, followed by tissues, organs, organ systems, and finally organisms.

Option D:

1. Sexual and asexual reproduction are the two ways of reproduction in animals and plants, respectively.
2. Sexual reproduction is the process of a haploid female gamete and a male gamete fusing together.
3. Asexual reproduction is a type of reproduction in which a single parent produces a new progeny.

Final answer: R.H. Whittaker's proposed five-kingdom system of classification is not based on the presence or absence of a well-defined nucleus.