Module 10: Classification - Diversity in the Six Kingdoms
Plants, animals, protists, fungi, archaebacteria, and eubacteria make up the six kingdoms. In this module, you will have the opportunity to take a closer look at diversity in the six kingdoms by studying microorganisms, plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates.
As you investigate diversity in the six kingdoms, you will learn how scientists improved medicine and treatments after discovering that certain microorganisms are responsible for diseases. This helped them gain a better understanding of viruses and bacteria. You will also examine the characteristics of invertebrates and vertebrates.
Getting Started
The Kingdom Animalia is categorized into vertebrates and invertebrates. Vertebrates are animals that contain a spinal cord and invertebrates lack a spinal cord. Learn about the distinction between invertebrates and vertebrates by watching the Incredible Invertebrates and Very Cool Vertebrates from Kratt Creatures on eMediaVASM. While you are watching the video clips, think about the similarities and differences between the different subphylums in the Kingdom Animalia.
Key Vocabulary
To view the definitions for these key vocabulary terms, visit the course glossary.
| angiosperm | Echinodermata | nitrogen fixation |
| Annelida | ectothermic | nonvascular plant |
| Arthropoda | endoskeleton | omnivore |
| asymmetry | endothermic | osmosis |
| autotroph | exoskeleton | parasite |
| auxin | fungi | pasteurization |
| bacteria | Gastropod | phloem |
| bilateral symmetry | germination | phototropism |
| binary fission | gravitropism | Platyhelminthes |
| bivalve | gymnosperm | polyp |
| bony fish | herbivore | Porifera |
| bryophyte | heterotroph | protist |
| budding | homeostasis | radial symmetry |
| capillary action | Koch’s postulates | rhizoid |
| carnivore | lateral line system | spinal cord |
| cartilage | lysogenic cycle | sporangium |
| cartilaginous fish | lytic cycle | spore |
| Cephalopod | medusa | trilobite |
| Chelicerates | microorganism | vacuole |
| Cnidaria | Mollusca | vascular plant |
| conjugation | molting | vascular system |
| Crustacean | mycorrhiza | vegetative propagation |
| cytokinin | Myriapod | virus |
| detritivore | Nemathelminthes | xylem |