Question

What are the defining characteristics of the following groups? a. Domain Eukarya

b. Domain Bacteria

c. Kingdom Plantae (Plants) d. Kingdom Fungi

e. Kingdom Animalia

f. Phylum Porifera

g. Phylum Cnidaria

h. Phylum Platyhelmintes

i. Phylum Mollusca

j. Phylum Annelida

k. Phylum Nematoda

l. Phylum Arthropoda

m. Phylum Echinodermata n. Phylum Chordata

Answer 1

1. Domain Eukaryotic
Presence of membrane bound organelles.
Presence of a double membrane nucleus
Mitosis in cells
Sexual reproduction - Meiosis

2. Bacteria
Unicellualr
Circular chromosome
No double membrane nucleus

3. Plantae
Multicellular
Photosynthesis
Presence of membrane bound organelles.
Presence of a double membrane nucleus

4. Fungi
Both unicellular and multicellular
Asexual and sexual reproduction
Eukaryotes

Porifera
asymmetrical animal
Body wall into a central cavity, spongocoel.
Skeleton made up of spicules or spongin fibres.
Sexes are not separate (hermaphrodite)

Cnidaria
radially symmetrical animals.
diploblastic.
central
gastro-vascular cavity with a single opening, hypostome.
Cnidarians exhibit two basic body forms called polyp and medusa.

Platyhelminthes
bilaterally symmetrical,
triploblastic
acoelomate animals with organ level of organisation.
Sexes are not separate.

Aschelminthes
bilaterally symmetrical,
triploblastic
pseudocoelomate animals.
Sexes are separate (dioecious)

Annelida
bilateral symmetry
triploblastic
coelomate animals.
dioecious and monoecious.

Arthropoda
bilaterally symmetrical,
triploblastic,
segmented and coelomate animals.
body consists of head, thorax and abdomen.
Excretion takes place through malpighian tubules.

Mollusca
bilaterally symmetrical,
triploblastic
coelomate animals.
Body is head, muscular foot and visceral hump.

Echinodermata
radially symmetrical but larvae are bilaterally symmetrical.
triploblastic
coelomate animals.
Sexes are separate.

Chordata
bilaterally symmetrical
triploblastic
coelomate with organ-system level of organisation.