Answer: Fungi.
- A Bacteria
- B Fungi
- C Protists
- D Archaea
Correct answer: B. Fungi
Explanation: R.H. Whittaker proposed the Five Kingdom system (1969): Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia. In earlier three-kingdom classifications, fungi were placed in Plantae. Whittaker recognized fungi as a distinct kingdom based on heterotrophic nutrition.
Plants evolved from water-dependent algae through increasingly land-adapted groups, gaining vascular tissue (Pteridophyta), then seeds (Gymnosperms), and finally fruit-enclosed seeds (Angiosperms) - each step reducing dependence on water for reproduction.
Concept context
Classification of plants from algae to angiosperms. Understanding plant diversity is essential for NEET.