1. Authors: Janice HoLung and Sonia Mc Culloch
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Picture credits given. Those without credits are by authors

2. FIVE KINGDOMS
All living organisms are divided into five major
groups, called kingdoms.
Organisms share many similarities but can be
separated into groups based on differences;
with each of the kingdoms and their respective
sub-groups (phyla) possessing specific
distinguishing features.
Knowledge of the distinguishing features of
various sub-groups (phyla, order, family) allows
us to easily identify new organisms and make
predictions about them.
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3. In this presentation, you will
1. Learn about the five kingdoms into
which are grouped all living things
2. Be able to describe the characteristics
of selected groups of living things
3. Be able to compare (similarities and
differences) selected animals and plants
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4. FIVE KINGDOMS
Two well known kingdoms of living things are the
plant and the animal kingdoms, but they are not
the only kingdoms that exist.
The five kingdoms of living things are:
1. Bacteria
2. Protists
3. Fungi
4. Plants
5. Animals
We will focus on kingdoms 4 and 5 in this
presentation.
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5. How many kingdoms are shown in this
photograph?
CHECK
How many are probably there, but
you cannot see them?
Plants, animals, fungi, bacteria
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6. Let’s look at the plant kingdom.
It contains a great variety of organisms, from the
very small ones to the extremely large ones.
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7. PLANT KINGDOM
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8. Very Small Plants
An example of a very small and simple plant is
the liverwort.
It is found only in very damp places, since it
requires water to reproduce and grow
The following photo shows liverworts growing
flat on soil.
Did you notice what its structure looks like?
Did you notice that smaller, fine leaved plants
are growing between the broader liverworts?
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9. Photograph of Liverworts
Photograph accessed on line and with permission from EDUPIC.com 9

10. Photograph of Liverworts
After looking at the photo on slide 9 showing
the liverworts growing flat on soil:
Did you notice what its structure looks like?
Did you notice that smaller, fine leaved plants
are growing between the broader liverworts?
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11. Mosses
Mosses, shown in the photograph below, are
somewhat more complex plants than the simple
liverworts.
Photograph accessed on line and with permission from EDUPIC.com 11

12. Mosses
Mosses possess simple structures that look like
roots, stems and leaves, but these structures do
not contain the same types of tissues that are
found in TRUE roots, stems and leaves.
The photo on slide 13 shows mosses growing on
a rock surface, with those nearer the camera
showing leaves only, and those farther away
showing their reproductive structures, sticking up
into the air.
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13. Mosses farther away from the camera show their reproductive
structures, sticking up into the air.
MORE
The photo shows mosses growing on a rock surface, with those nearer
the camera showing leaves only.
Photograph accessed on line and with permission from EDUPIC.com 13

14. Ferns
Fernsare more complex than mosses, and also
grow to much larger sizes.
Photograph accessed on line and with permission from EDUPIC.com
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15. Ferns
Ferns reproduce in two ways, one of which is
seen in the photo on the previous slide. On the
underside of their leaves (called fronds), are
found many groups (aggregates) of their
sporangia, that contain their reproductive
spores.
Notice that ferns may be found not only in wet
places, but also can withstand some dry
conditions sometimes.
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16. Photograph accessed on line and with permission from EDUPIC.com
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17. Gymnosperms
These are cone bearing plants with
needle like leaves and cones, instead of
fruit. Often they are called in Jamaica, fir
trees/Christmas trees.
These cones contain the reproductive
organs, and the female cones will develop
seeds once they are fertilized.
Their seeds do not occur within a seed
case, so they are called naked seeds.
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18. Photo of a gymnosperm/”fir”
tree
Photograph accessed on line and with permission from EDUPIC.com
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19. Photo of another
gymnosperm/”fir” tree
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20. Flowering Plants
DICOTYLEDONS MONOCOTYLEDONS
 These are classified on the  Their seeds do not have two
basis that their seeds have cotyledons.
two cotyledons or seed  Their leaves have veins in a
leaves parallel pattern
 They also show other special  Their flowers usually have
characteristics, e.g., their either 3 or 5 petals, and many
leaves have veins in a net-like may not have easily
pattern, and the arrangement observable petals, as you may
of their transport system notice in the photos of the
(vascular bundles) is different coconut and the grass
to that of the monocots flowers.
 Their flowers usually have
petals, of numbers 4,5, or 6.
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21. sepal
ovary (pistil)
petal
stamen
This is an example of a dicotyledon flower. It is Pride
of Barbados. Can you see the four main parts of the
flower – the petals, sepals, pistil and stamens? Clue
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22. Example of a dicotyledon flower –
the Bauhinia or Wild Orchid.
petal
sepal
pistil
stamen
This time, can you see the different parts? SHOW ME
How many petals does it have? Click here for answer.
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23. Flowers of Coconut
Flower without
petals
Photograph accessed on line and with permission from EDUPIC.com 23

24. Flowers of grass plants
stamen
feathery
stigmas -
part of pistil
Photograph accessed on line and with permission from EDUPIC.com
Notice there are no petals, only the actual
stamens and pistil. SHOW ME
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25. Leaf with net veins
Notice the main large vein in the centre.
See the several side veins that branch out from it.
And finally, notice the network of veins coming from these.
SHOW ME
Midrib/main
vein
side veins
network of veins
Photograph accessed on line and with permission from EDUPIC.com 25

26. Grass leaf with parallel veins
Photograph accessed on line and with permission from EDUPIC.com
.
Notice how many veins there are.
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27. Roots
Notice the two patterns of root growth
shown in the next two diagrams.
Generally, monocotyledon plants show
one type (often fibrous type), and
generally dicotyledonous plants show the
other type (tap root pattern)
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28. Tap roots and fibrous roots
Tap Fibrous
Photograph accessed on line and with permission from EDUPIC.com 28

29. ANIMAL KINGDOM
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30. ANIMAL KINGDOM
Key features of animals include the fact that they
are multi-cellular, heterotrophic, (they rely on
other organisms as a food source; food is ingested
before it is digested) and motile (they move
about).
There are many different groups of animals, but
there are two broad groups: vertebrates (having
backbones) and invertebrates (no backbones)
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31. Invertebrates
Interesting groups of invertebrate animals are the
ringed worms, the molluscs, the arthropods.
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32. Ringed Worms
Examples of these are the earthworms,
which live in the soil.
1.Does the worm have limbs? Why?
2.Do they fall into the invertebrates? Or the
vertebrates?
3.What are the characteristics of these
ringed worms? Answers 1. No limbs. Their bodies have muscular
CHECK rings used for moving through soil. 2. They are
invertebrates, for they have no internal skeleton,
or backbone. 3. Ringed worms do not have a
head with sense organs, they have ring-like
segments and have bristles.
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33. Molluscs
Molluscs have protection, usually in the form of an
outside tough shell.
1.Why do they need a shell?
2.Do these animals have eyes? Ears? Mouth?
3.Many of the molluscs live in the water. Can you
think of a reason? CHECK
Answers
1. They need the tough shell for protection against predators. Their
bodies are very soft, and they have no defenses.
2. They usually have eyes and a mouth, but no ears.
3. Because their body is soft and has mucous, they prefer to live in damp
places where they will not become dehydrated.
Look at the next photo which shows a native
Jamaican mollusc. 33

34. Photo of a Mollusc
Notice the features:
1. See the tough
outer shell (dark
brown)
2. The muscular
“foot” – really the
body, with the
head and its eyes
on stalks
Photograph by M.L.Gentles, 2006
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35. Arthropods
These are the most numerous animals on
earth. Can you think why?
They have a tough outside ‘skeleton’ or skin
made of thick chitin, and jointed limbs.
There are several different groups of
arthropods, from lobsters and shrimp to
bees, wasps and cockroaches.
They live on land, in the water and in the
air.
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36. bee
Photograph by M. Earle 2008
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37. Vertebrates
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38. VERTEBRATES
Interesting groups of vertebrate animals are the
fish, the birds and the mammals.
These all have backbones !
Consider their features – what do lizards, birds,
humans and elephants have in common? Write
it down! CHECK
All of them have backbones, they all have four appendages, and
all have heads with sense organs.
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39. Photo of a mammal – an elephant
Photograph by M. Earle 2008
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40. Common Features
Now then, what do humans and
elephants have in common? Write that
down!
CHECK
Both are vertebrates, have hair on their skin,
feed young from mammary glands, have a
diaphragm and a four chambered heart.
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41. Photo of a lizard – a vertebrate & a
reptile
Photograph by M. Earle 2008
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42. Photo of a duck – a vertebrate &
a bird
Photograph by J. Earle 2008
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43. Any more common features?
Finally,how can we separate humans from
elephants? Which features do we have that
elephants do not have? Write that down!
CHECK
Humans walk on two legs, not four! Humans have five
fingers and five toes with joints, elephants don’t.
Elephants have a long trunk instead of a small nose.
If you have looked carefully, and considered,
you will have found out some important
features of the major groups of vertebrates.
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44. Classification & Biodiversity
You have just made a quick survey of the major
groups of living things – plants and animals,
You have also looked at the different groups of
plants, and the different groups of animals
This survey showed you the great numbers of
different living things – that is, the bio-diversity
that exists here on earth.
This diversity must be cared for and kept, so
that the earth will continue to nourish all living
things.
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