Five Kingdom Classification
Solutions for Biology, Class 9, ICSE
Assertion Reason Type
6 questionsAssertion (A): Monera and Protista are similar with respect to their number of cells. Both are unicellular.
Reason (R): They differ with respect to their nuclei. Monerans are prokaryotic and protists are eukaryotic.
- A is True and R is False.
- A is False and R is True.
- Both A and R are True.
- Both A and R are False.
Answer:
Both A and R are True.
Reason — Both Monera and Protista are unicellular organisms. They differ in type of nuclei, Monerans are prokaryotic (no true nucleus or membrane-bound organelles) while Protists are eukaryotic (have a well-defined nucleus and organelles).
Answer:
A is False and R is True.
Reason — Gymnosperms are not flowering plants. They are non-flowering seed plants that bear naked seeds. Gymnosperms bear seeds in cones.
Assertion (A): Jungle crow and house crow can breed among themselves as both belong to the same genus.
Reason (R): They can interbreed among themselves as both are crows and only their habitat is different.
- A is True and R is False.
- A is False and R is True.
- Both A and R are True.
- Both A and R are False.
Answer:
Both A and R are False.
Reason — As jungle crow (Corvus macrorhynchos) and house crow (Corvus splendens) belong to different species they cannot interbreed. Their inability to interbreed is not due to their differing habitats only.
Assertion (A): Ostia are the openings in the body wall of sponges through which water enters inside the body.
Reason (R): Osculum is a mouth-like structure on the top of the sponge's body through which water is thrown out.
- A is True and R is False.
- A is False and R is True.
- Both A and R are True.
- Both A and R are False.
Answer:
Both A and R are True.
Reason — Ostia are tiny pores present all over the body of a sponge. They allow water to enter the body, bringing in oxygen and food particles. The osculum is a large opening at the top of the sponge. It is the exit point for water after circulation through the sponge’s body.
Answer:
A is False and R is True.
Reason — The clitellum is a glandular, thickened region of the skin in earthworms, but it is located near the anterior (front) end, not the posterior end. The clitellum plays a crucial role in reproduction
Assertion (A): Both Pisces and Amphibians have a two chambered heart.
Reason (R): As pisces are the most primitive chordates, they only have a one chambered heart. Amphibians are little advanced than pisces, so they have a two chambered heart.
- A is True and R is False.
- A is False and R is True.
- Both A and R are True.
- Both A and R are False.
Answer:
Both A and R are False.
Reason — Pisces have a two-chambered heart while amphibians have a three-chambered heart.
Pisces do not have a one-chambered heart — they have two chambers and amphibians are more evolved and have three chambers, not two.
Long Answer Type
2 questionsAnswer:
(a) Difference between Invertebrates and vertebrates:
Invertebrates | Vertebrates |
---|---|
No internal skeleton. | They have an internal skeleton. |
Backbone is not present. | Backbone is present. |
Tail is absent. | Tail is present. |
Heart is present on dorsal side. | Heart is on ventral side of the body |
Nerve cord is ventral and solid. | Nerve cord is dorsal and hollow. |
Three or more pairs of limbs, if present. | Two pairs of limbs. |
Haemoglobin, if present, is dissolved. | Haemoglobin is present in red blood cells. |
(b) Difference between Ectothermal and Homeothermal animals:
Ectothermal animals | Homeothermal animals |
---|---|
Internal body temperature relies on external temperature. | A constant internal temperature is maintained which is not affected by external temperature. |
Example - Amphibians, Reptiles | Example - Mammals, Aves |
(c) Difference between Monera and Protista:
Monera | Protista |
---|---|
They are prokaryotes. | They are eukaryotes. |
Membrane bound cell organelles are absent. | Membrane bound cell organelles are present. |
Example - Bacteria | Example - Amoeba, Euglena |
(d) Difference between Bryophytes and Pteridophytes:
Bryophytes | Pteridophytes |
---|---|
True leaves, stems or roots are absent. | True leaves, stems or roots are present. |
Non-vascular | Vascular |
Example - Moss, liverwort | Example - Fern |
(e) Difference between Roundworms and Ringed worms:
Roundworms | Ringed worms |
---|---|
Belong to Phylum Nematoda. | Belong to Phylum Annelida. |
Soft, round, cylindrical body. | Soft, cylindrical ring-like segmented body. |
False body cavity present. | True body cavity present. |
Answer:
Cold-blooded animals — These animals cannot maintain their body temperature. Their body temperature fluctuates directly with the temperature of the environment. Animals of classes Pisces, Amphibia, Reptilia are cold-blooded animals.
Warm-blooded animals (homeothermal) — These animals maintain an almost constant, relatively high body temperature irrespective of the temperature of the environment. Animals of classes Aves and Mammalia are warm-blooded or homeothermal animals.
Multiple Choice Type
11 questionsAnswer:
Vertebrates and invertebrates
Reason — Kingdom Animalia is sub-divided into vertebrates and invertebrates.
Answer:
- Fern.
- Sponge.
- Starfish.
- Oyster.
Reason —
- Mushroom and Yeast are Fungi whereas Fern comes under Pteridophyta.
- Paramecium and Euglena are Protists while Sponge comes under Porifera.
- Starfish comes under Echinodermata, Roaches and Dogfish are Pisces.
- Bat and Parrot are vertebrates but Oyster (Mollusc) is invertebrate.
Answer:
Rana tigrina
Reason — In print, scientific names are always in italics. In the given options, Rana tigrina is in italics, hence it is a binomial scientific name. The binomial scientific name consists of two parts — Genera and species. Rana tigrina is the scientific name of Frog.
Which one of the following is the correct statement about the respective animal(s)?
- Donkey and horse should be considered one single species because they can successfully mate and produce an offspring.
- Donkey and horse are two different genuses.
- Mule is a separate species.
- Mule is neither a donkey nor a horse
Answer:
Mule is neither a donkey nor a horse
Reason — It is a cross (hybrid) between a male donkey and female horse.
Identify the invertebrate phyla P and Q based on the characteristics given below :
Characteristics | Invertebrate Phyla |
---|---|
Usually have a skeleton of microscopic spicules or elastic spongin fibres. | P |
Soft, round, cylindrical body with a false body cavity. | Q |
- P — Porifera, Q — Cnidaria
- P — Cnidaria, Q — Platyhelminthes
- P — Porifera, Q — Nematoda
- P — Nematoda, Q — Cnidaria
Answer:
P — Porifera, Q — Nematoda
Reason — Members of Porifera (sponges) have bodies supported by spicules which provide structure. Nematodes (roundworms) have a pseudocoelom (false body cavity), and their body is soft, cylindrical, and unsegmented.
Progress Check 1
2 questionsProgress Check 2
2 questionsMention the name of the phylum against the following characteristics
- No single mouth but numerous pores as water inlets ............... .
- Jointed appendages ............... .
- Unsegmented body with a protective calcareous shell ............... .
- Locomotion by tube feet ............... .
- Long, cylindrical and unsegmented body ............... .
- Small, flat, unsegmented worms ............... .
Answer:
- No single mouth but numerous pores as water inlets — Porifera.
- Jointed appendages — Arthropoda.
- Unsegmented body with a protective calcareous shell — Molluscs.
- Locomotion by tube feet — Echinodermata.
- Long, cylindrical and unsegmented body — Nematoda.
- Small, flat, unsegmented worms — Platyhelminthes.
Answer:
Animals | Phyllum |
---|---|
Leech | Annelida |
Hydra | Cnidaria |
Tapeworm | Platyhelminthes |
Sea cucumber | Echinodermata |
Sponge | Porifera |
Roundworm | Nematoda |
Scorpion | Arthropoda |
Slug | Mollusca |
Centipede | Arthropoda |
Butterfly | Arthropoda |
Progress Check 3
2 questionsListed below are eleven characteristics (i-xi) in Column I and the five classes (a-e) of Chordata in Column II. Match at least two characteristics with each class.
Column I (Characteristics) | Column II (Classes) |
---|---|
Three chambered heart | Pisces |
Feathers | |
Two-chambered heart | |
Eardrum in a pit | Amphibia |
Scales | |
External ears | |
Gills | Reptilia |
Moist skin | |
Horny scales on Skin | |
Homeothermal | Aves |
Testes in scrotum | Mammalia |
Answer:
Column I (Characteristics) | Column II (Classes) |
---|---|
Two-chambered heart | Pisces |
Scales | |
Gills | |
Three chambered heart | Amphibia |
Moist skin | |
Horny scales on Skin | Reptilia |
Eardrum in a pit | |
Homeothermal | Aves |
Feathers | |
Testes in scrotum | Mammalia |
External ears |
Short Answer Type
12 questionsAnswer:
(a) The five kingdoms according to the new classification are:
- Kingdom Monera
- Kingdom Protista
- Kingdom Fungi
- Kingdom Plantae
- Kingdom Animalia
(b) Five divisions of kingdom Plantae are:
- Thallophyta
- Bryophyta
- Pteridophyta
- Gymnosperms
- Angiosperms
(c) Eight phyla of Invertebrates are:
- Porifera
- Cnidaria
- Platyhelminthes
- Nematoda
- Annelida
- Arthropoda
- Mollusca
- Echinodermata
(d) Five classes of Chordata are:
- Pisces
- Amphibia
- Reptilia
- Aves
- Mammalia
(e) Two types of fishes on the basis of their skeletons are:
- Cartilaginous fishes
- Bony fishes
Answer:
(a) Species — Species means an organism of particular kind whose members can interbreed among themselves to produce fertile young ones.
(b) Clitellum — The clitellum is a specialized reproductive structure found in certain annelids, particularly in earthworms. It is a short cylindrical band of thick glandular skin that surrounds the body like a belt and is around one-third distance of the body from the front end in the segments 14-16.
(c) Moulting — The casting off and the regrowing of the exoskeleton is collectively called moulting. It occurs in Arthropods.
(d) Diaphragm — A muscular structure separating thorax and abdomen internally in mammals is called diaphragm.
(e) Nocturnal animals — Animals that are active during night are known as nocturnal animals.
Answer:
(a) Microscopic spicules or elastic spongin fibre.
Location — It forms the skeleton of Sponges.
Function — Structural support and defense against predators.
(b) Tentacles
Location — around mouth in Coelentrates.
Function — To catch food organisms.
(c) Parapodium
Location — Found in certain marine annelids. Usually located on either side of a segment, extending outward from the body wall. Function — Locomotion.
(d) Fins
Location — Found in Class Pisces (Fishes) organisms. They have fins instead of limbs.
Function — Swimming.
(e) Feathers
Location — Found in Class Aves (Birds) organisms. They have an exoskeleton of feathers.
Function — To facilitate flying.
Answer:
Column I | Column II |
---|---|
Annelida | Earthworm |
Porifera | Sponge |
Mollusca | Octopus |
Reptilia | Snake |
Pisces | Trout |
Mammal | Rabbit |
Amphibia from Column I and Pigeon from column II are left out. They do not match as Pigeon comes under Class Aves and not Class Amphibia.
Answer:
In science, people from different countries with different languages have to read about each others research. So, it was necessary to eliminate any possible confusion created by local names. Scientific names are based on certain rules which are universal. They are unique and can be used to identify an organism anywhere around the world. That is why, scientific names of living beings are considered better than their common names.
Answer:
Carolus Linnaeus In 1758, anciently divided all living organisms into two kingdoms : The drawbacks of this classification are:
- Bacteria were kept in Kingdom Plantae. These organisms have no chlorophyll and do not carry out photosynthesis. Bacteria do not have a definite nucleus nor a nuclear membrane nor chromosomes.
- Fungi were kept in Kingdom Plantae. Bread mould is a multicellular fungi. However, it does not possess roots, stem and leaves, lacks chlorophyll and does bear any flowers, fruits and seeds like plants.
Answer:
Species means an organism of a particular kind whose members can interbreed among themselves to produce fertile young ones.
All humans on the earth today may differ widely in their facial features, colour, height, etc. Yet, they belong to a single species Homo sapiens because they can interbreed among themselves and produce a normal offspring.
Answer:
(a) Insecta have three pairs of legs whereas Arachnida have four pairs of legs.
(b) Flatworm has a thin, dorsoventrally flattened body whereas Roundworm has long cylindrical body that is tapered at both ends.
Answer:
(a) Insects and Birds
Similarity — Both Insects and Birds have wings.
Difference — Insects are invertebrates whereas birds as vertebrates.
(b) Whales and Fishes
Similarity — Both Whales and Fishes are aquatic.
Difference — Whales breathe through lungs whereas fishes breathe through gills.
(c) Snakes and Earthworms
Similarity — Both Snakes and Earthworms do not have any limbs.
Difference — Earthworms are invertebrates whereas snakes are vertebrates.
(d) Bat and Pigeon
Similarity — Both Bat and Pigeon breathe through lungs.
Difference — Bats have external ears whereas pigeons have internal ears.
(e) Cuttlefish and Dogfish
Similarity — Both Cuttlefish and Dogfish are marine animals.
Difference — Dogfish is a vertebrate whereas cuttlefish is an invertebrate.
(f) Wall lizard and Frog
Similarity — Both Wall lizard and Frog are cold-blooded.
Difference — Wall lizards live on land whereas frogs can live both on land and water.
Structured Application Skill Type
4 questionsAnswer:
(a) The organism shown in the picture is Toadstool (a mushroom).
(b) The organism belongs to the Kingdom Fungi.
(c) Two characteristics of the Toadstool that differentiates it from plants are:
- Toadstool (mushroom) does not have roots, stem and leaves whereas plants have roots, stem and leaves.
- Fungi have no chlorophyll whereas plants have chlorophyll and they make their own food by photosynthesis (autotrophic i.e. self nourishing).
Look at the figure given below and answer the question that follow :

(a) Mention the kingdom, phylum and class to which the organism belongs.
(b) Write any two significant characteristics of the organism belonging to the class mentioned in (i).
(c) Mention two key features of the phylum mentioned in (i) and write the names of the five classes that it has been divided into.
Answer:
(a) The organism belongs:
Kingdom — Animalia
Phylum — Chordata
Class — Aves
(b) The two significant characteristics of the organism belonging to the class Aves are :
- Their forelimbs are modified into wings.
- They are warm blooded or homeothermal.
(c) The two key features of the phylum Chordata are:
- They have an internal skeleton.
- A backbone is present.
(d) The names of the five classes that it has been divided into are :
- Pisces(Fishes)
- Amphibia(Frog)
- Reptilia(Lizards)
- Aves (Birds)
- Mammalia (Hairy quadrupeds)
The figures shown below represent animals of one phylum.

(a) Mention the phylum to which the above animals belong.
(b) Write the habitat of these animals.
(c) Identify the animals (A, B, C and D).
(d) Name the cavity enclosed by the two-layered body wall.
(e) Name the locomotory structure shown in the figures.
Answer:
(a) Cnidaria
(b) Aquatic habitat
(c) The animals are:
A → Sea anemone
B → Hydra
C → Jellyfish
D → Red Coral
(d) Coelenteron
(e) Tentacles
TYRANNOSAURUS (One of the extinct animals which lived on the Earth about 100,000,000 years ago) Tyrannosaurus was about six metres long and it preyed upon other animals.

What do you think about its classification — was it an amphibian, a reptile or a mammal? Can you call it a relative of Kangaroo? Yes/No. Give reason
Answer:
Tyrannosaurus are reptile.
Tyrannosaurus is not a relative of Kangaroo as Kangaroo is a mammal and Tyrannosaurus is a reptile.
Characteristics of Tyrannosaurus:
- Body had scales which can be horny.
- Lays eggs that have a leathery shell.
- Had three-chambered heart as ventricles are partially divided.
- Cold-blooded animals.
Very Short Answer Type
7 questionsAnswer:
The two characters common to dog, humans, squirrel, bat, camel and monkey are:
(c) external ears
(d) give birth to young ones
Answer:
Column I | Column II |
---|---|
Pine | Gymnosperm Plantae |
Earthworm | Animalia |
Bread mould | Fungi |
Amoeba | Protista |
Moss | Plantae Bryophyta |
Bacteria | Monera Prokaryote |
Answer:
(a) Animals with a backbone — Vertebrata
(b) Animals with a hairy skin — Mammalia
(c) Animals with three pairs of legs — Insecta
(d) Animals with feathers — Aves
Given below is a list of ten animals each followed by three terms or features. Underline the term which does not match with the animal.
- Amoeba — Nucleus, tentacle, food vacuole.
- Hydra — Invertebrata, Cnidaria, Crustacea.
- Fish — Gills, paired fins, ear drum.
- Earthworm — Invertebrata, Annelida, Insecta.
- Grasshopper— Wings, trachea, proboscis.
- Butterfly— Insecta, Invertebrata, Mollusca.
- Whale — Gills, mammary glands, fat under the skin.
- Pigeon — Feathers, wings, hair.
- Monkey — External ear, sweat glands, lateral line.
- Bat — Aves, Mammalia, Chordata.
Answer:
For each of the animal, below is the term which does not match with the animal:
- Amoeba — tentacle
- Hydra — Crustacea
- Fish — ear drum
- Earthworm — Insecta
- Grasshopper — proboscis
- Butterfly — Mollusca
- Whale — Gills
- Pigeon — hair
- Monkey — lateral line
- Bat — Aves