Kingdom Protista

Characteristics

All are eukaryotic

MOST prefer aquatic environments

“Junk drawer” of the natural world

Classification

Animal-like

Plant-like

Fungus-like

Animal-like Protists

Called protozoans= “first animals”

No cell wall

Heterotrophic

Classified by how they move

Protozoa/Sarcodines

Move by pseudopodia

Ex: amoeba

Many have shells used in formation of limestone, chalk

Used pseudopodia to engulf food

Reproduce by binary fission

Disease: dysentery

Ciliophora/Ciliates

Move by cilia

Reproduce by binary fission of conjugation

Ex. stentor, vorticella, paramecium

Paramecium

Sarcomastigophora/Flagellates

Move by flagella

Many live inside animals (symbiotic relationship)

Ex. Trypanosoma- causes African Sleeping Sickness

ex. Giardia- Causes severe diarrhea

Apicomplexa/Sporozoans

No means of locomotion

Must rely on a host

Most are parasitic

Ex. Plasmodium- causes Malaria

Plasmodium Life Cycle

Plant-like Protists

Autotrophic

Unicellular or multicellular; some are colonial

Thought to supply approximately 70% of Earth’s oxygen

Green Algae

May be unicellular, multicellular, or colonial

Ex. Chlamydomonas, Volvox, Chlorophyta

Brown Algae

“Seaweed”

Most are marina, can be found in very cold water

Range in size from very small to over 100 meters

Many have air bladders

Ex. Giant Kelp

Uses: Algin (food stabilizer), Asian foods

Red Algae

Most are multicellular and marine

Can be found very deep

Used in food additives (carrageenan), in cosmetics and hair products, and to made agar

Also used in asian food

Ex. Coralline Algae

Diatoms

Unicellular

Over 10,000 different species

Found in fresh and salt water

Silicon dioxide shell (glass)

Many commercial uses: pest repellant, car paint, nail polish, tooth paste, cat litter, toxic spill clean-up…

Technically golden algae

Ex. phytoplankton

Dinoflagellates

Unicellular

Two flagella

Often have colorful pigments and many produce bioluminescence

Ex. red tide

Golden Algae

Found in mostly in fresh water

Very small group

AKA: Chrysophyta

Euglenoids

Unicellular

Move by flagella

Found in fresh water

Have an eye spot

Ex. euglena

Fungus-like Protists

Heterotrophic

Have cell walls

Many move by flagella during life cycle

Slime Mold

Begin as single cells that collect together

Prefer moist, nutrient-rich environment

Commonly found in mulch

Previously classified as fungi

Water Mold

AKA downy mildew & white rusts

Feed on decaying organic material (rotting trees, mulch)

Responsible for Ireland’s Great Potato Famine of mid-1800s