Answer: Algae and fungi.
- A Two species of fungi
- B Algae and fungi
- C Bacteria and algae
- D Fungi and bryophytes
Correct answer: B. Algae and fungi
Explanation: A lichen is a mutualistic association between an alga (phycobiont, autotrophic) and a fungus (mycobiont, heterotrophic).
Whittaker's five-kingdom system (1969) groups all cellular life by cell structure and nutrition; viruses, viroids, and lichens fall outside this system entirely since they aren't independently classifiable as one of the five.
Concept context
Whittaker's five kingdom system covering Monera, Protista, Fungi, plus viruses, viroids, and lichens. A foundational NEET chapter on how living organisms are grouped.