Write a dichotomous key for the following 1 Viroid Smallest

Write a dichotomous key for the following:

1. Viroid- Smallest infectious pathogen, made of small single stranded RNA, No protein coat/ capsule.

2. Virus- Intracellular parasites, made of single type of DNA or RNA, have protein coat or capsid

3. Bacteria- living and made of cells, no nucleus, have peptidoglycan in cell walls

4. Prions- Self replicating proteins, Made of a single sialoglycoprotein Prp 27-30 and have no nucleic acids.

5. Archaea- Single celled prokaryotes, have cell wall with no peptidoglycan, Metabolism includes Methanogenesis.

6. Fungi- Eukaryotic, Heterotrophs and have cell wall

7. Algae- Eukaryotic, have chlorophyll, can be multicellular or unicellular

8. Protozoa- Unicellular, microscopic, eukaryotic non phototrophic with no cell wall.

9. Helminthes- large multicellular, parasitic worms, egg producing

Solution

1: a Acellular Go to 2
b: Cellular Go to 4

2: a: Acellular with both nucleic acid and protein Go to 3
b: Acellular with protein only: Prions

3: a: Acellular with DNA or RNA, have protein coat or capsid: Viruses
b: Acellular with ssRNA, have no protein coat: Viroid

4: a: Prokaryotic Go to 5
b: Eukaryotic Go to 6

5: a: Single celled prokaryotes, have cell wall with no peptidoglycan: Archaea
b: Unicellular, have peptidoglycan in cell walls: Bacteria

6: a: Eukaryotic, autotrophic: Go to 7
b: Eukaryotic, heterotrophic: Go to 8

7: a: Eukaryotic, have chlorophyll, can be multicellular or unicellular: Algae
b: Unicellular,eukaryotic, non phototrophic with no cell wall: Protozoa

8: a:Eukaryotic, Heterotrophs and have cell wall: Fungi
b: Heterotrophs, large multicellular, have no cell wall: Helminthes