Kingdoms and animal groups — final check key

1. VK1 · Final check

Model answer. (a) Animals are made of many cells with no cell walls and no chloroplasts, and they feed on organic substances made by other living things. (b) Plants are made of many cells with cellulose cell walls and chloroplasts, and they make their own food by photosynthesis.

A full answer includes

• (a) Animals: many cells; no cell walls; no chloroplasts; feed on organic substances made by other living things.
• (b) Plants: many cells; cell walls made of cellulose; chloroplasts; make their own food by photosynthesis.

Also accept

• (a) many cells, no walls, no chloroplasts, feed on other organisms; (b) many cells, cellulose walls, chloroplasts, photosynthesis

Watch for

• “Animals move and plants do not.” — Moving about is not a kingdom feature; the cells and the way the organism gets its food are.

2. VK2 · Final check

Model answer. Feel and look at the skin: a reptile such as the lizard has dry skin covered in scales, while an amphibian such as the frog has moist skin with no scales. Look at the eggs: most reptiles lay eggs with rubbery shells on land, while amphibians lay soft eggs in water.

A full answer includes

• Skin: reptiles have dry skin with scales; amphibians have moist skin with no scales.
• Eggs: reptiles lay eggs with rubbery shells on land; amphibians lay soft eggs in water.

Also accept

• skin: dry with scales (reptile) vs moist, no scales (amphibian); eggs: rubbery shells on land (reptile) vs soft eggs in water (amphibian)

Watch for

• “Reptiles and amphibians can be told apart by where they live.” — Both can live on land and near water; the skin and the eggs decide the group.

3. VK3 · Final check

Options as numbered on the pupil sheet: 1 — Mammals; 2 — Birds; 3 — Reptiles; 4 — Amphibians; 5 — Fish.

Model answer. The salamander has moist skin with no scales and lays soft eggs in water: an amphibian. The shark has scales and fins and breathes with gills: a fish. The hedgehog's spines are stiff hairs, and it feeds its young on milk: a mammal. The tortoise has dry skin with scales: a reptile. The ostrich has feathers, a beak and wings and lays eggs with hard shells: a bird, even though it cannot fly.

A full answer includes

• Salamander: amphibians.
• Shark: fish.
• Hedgehog: mammals.
• Tortoise: reptiles.
• Ostrich: birds.

Also accept

• salamander: amphibians; shark: fish; hedgehog: mammals; tortoise: reptiles; ostrich: birds

Watch for

• “A bird that cannot fly is not a bird.” — Flying is not a bird feature: feathers, a beak, wings and eggs with hard shells are.
• “A tortoise is an amphibian, because it is slow and lives on land.” — Dry skin with scales is a reptile feature; amphibians have moist skin with no scales.

4. JK1 · Final check

Model answer. All arthropods have jointed legs, an exoskeleton (a hard skeleton on the outside of the body) and a segmented body.

A full answer includes

• Jointed legs.
• An exoskeleton (a hard skeleton on the outside of the body).
• A segmented body.

Also accept

• jointed legs; exoskeleton; segmented body

Watch for

• “All arthropods have six legs and wings.” — Those are insect features only; all arthropods share jointed legs, an exoskeleton and a segmented body.

5. JK2 · Final check

Model answer. It is a crustacean. It has two pairs of antennae and more than four pairs of legs; insects and myriapods have one pair of antennae, and arachnids have none.

A full answer includes

• Crustaceans.
• It has two pairs of antennae and more than four pairs of legs: crustacean features.

Also accept

• crustacean: two pairs of antennae and more than four pairs of legs

Watch for

• “Any animal in a rock pool with a shell is a fish.” — A fish has a backbone, scales, fins and gills; this animal has jointed legs, an exoskeleton and antennae.

6. JK3 · Final check

Options as numbered on the pupil sheet: 1 — Insects; 2 — Arachnids; 3 — Crustaceans; 4 — Myriapods.

Model answer. The tarantula has two body parts, four pairs of legs and no antennae: an arachnid, even though it is large and hairy. The dragonfly has three body parts, three pairs of legs and one pair of antennae: an insect. The millipede has a long body of many segments with legs on each, and one pair of antennae: a myriapod. The shrimp has two pairs of antennae and more than four pairs of legs: a crustacean.

A full answer includes

• Tarantula: arachnids.
• Dragonfly: insects.
• Millipede: myriapods.
• Shrimp: crustaceans.

Also accept

• tarantula: arachnids; dragonfly: insects; millipede: myriapods; shrimp: crustaceans

Watch for

• “A large, hairy spider is an insect.” — Size and hair do not decide the group: two body parts, four pairs of legs and no antennae make it an arachnid.
• “Any animal with many legs is a crustacean.” — A long body of many segments with legs on each, and one pair of antennae, makes a myriapod; crustaceans have two pairs of antennae.

7. XK1 · Final check

Model answer. Fungi have cells with a nucleus and cell walls not made of cellulose, and no chloroplasts. Most are made of thread-like hyphae, though yeast is a single cell. They digest dead or living matter outside the body and absorb the food.

A full answer includes

• Cells with a nucleus and a cell wall that is not made of cellulose.
• No chloroplasts.
• Most are made of thread-like hyphae (some, such as yeast, are single cells).
• They digest dead or living matter outside the body and absorb the food.

Also accept

• nucleus; walls not cellulose; no chloroplasts; mostly hyphae; digest food outside the body

Watch for

• “Fungi are plants without leaves.” — Fungi have no chloroplasts and their walls are not made of cellulose: they are a kingdom of their own.

8. XK2 · Final check

Model answer. A monocotyledon has one cotyledon in each seed, and its leaves are usually long and narrow with parallel veins. A dicotyledon has two cotyledons in each seed, and its leaves are usually broad with a branching network of veins.

A full answer includes

• Seeds: monocotyledons have one cotyledon, dicotyledons have two cotyledons.
• Leaves: monocotyledons usually have long, narrow leaves with parallel veins; dicotyledons usually have broad leaves with a branching network of veins.

Also accept

• one vs two cotyledons; parallel veins vs branching network of veins

Watch for

• “Monocots have no flowers.” — Monocots and dicots are both flowering plants; the cotyledons and the veins tell them apart.

9. XK3 · Final check

Model answer. A virus is genetic material, DNA or RNA, inside a protein coat. It has no cytoplasm and no ribosomes: it is not made of cells. Every organism in the five kingdoms is made of one or more cells, so viruses are not placed in any kingdom.

A full answer includes

• Genetic material (DNA or RNA) inside a protein coat.
• A coat around genetic material is not a cell (no cytoplasm), so a virus does not fit a kingdom made of organisms with cells.

Also accept

• genetic material inside a protein coat; not made of cells, so in no kingdom

Watch for

• “Viruses are bacteria.” — A bacterium is a cell and a prokaryote; a virus is not made of cells.

10. XK4 · Final check

Options as numbered on the pupil sheet: 1 — Fungi; 2 — Protoctists; 3 — Prokaryotes; 4 — Ferns; 5 — Monocotyledons; 6 — Dicotyledons.

Model answer. Amoeba is a single cell with a nucleus and no cell wall: a protoctist. Yeast is a single cell too, but it has a cell wall not made of cellulose and no chloroplasts, and it absorbs its food: a fungus. The soil bacterium is a single cell with no nucleus, only a loop of DNA: a prokaryote. Bracken has fronds and spore cases, and no flowers: a fern. The sunflower has two cotyledons in each seed and a branching network of veins: a dicotyledon. The onion has one cotyledon and parallel veins: a monocotyledon.

A full answer includes

• Amoeba: protoctists.
• Yeast: fungi.
• Soil bacterium: prokaryotes.
• Bracken: ferns.
• Sunflower: dicotyledons.
• Onion: monocotyledons.

Also accept

• Amoeba: protoctists; yeast: fungi; soil bacterium: prokaryotes; bracken: ferns; sunflower: dicotyledons; onion: monocotyledons

Watch for

• “Yeast is a protoctist, because it is a single cell with a nucleus.” — Yeast has a cell wall not made of cellulose and no chloroplasts, and it absorbs its food: it is a fungus.
• “Ferns are flowering plants.” — Ferns have no flowers and no seeds: they reproduce by spores.