Biological Classification — BIOLOGY STD 11 Science — Question

Two kingdom classification was unable to accommodate certain living beings as they neither had properties of animals nor of plants. Through two kingdom classification it was not possible to include every set of characters in a particular kingdom. Five kingdom classification could accommodate more set of characters. As a result it was easier to categorize all living beings. For example bacteria can be autotrophic as well as heterotrophic. It was a difficult question to categorize them either under plant or animal. A separate kingdom was the most logical choice. Similarly, viruses are a borderline case between living and non-living. When they don't get host then they behave like a non-living. Once, inside a host they spring to life. Although the five kingdom classification does not have room for virus but it opened the way for a better and more inclusive system of classification.