Kingdom ProtistaUnicellular plants and animals

General Information

Protista, from the Greek protistos = first

Diverse group

Aka Algae & Protozoa

Most are Unicellularexception: Volvox is colonial

Characteristics1. Eukaryotic

(have a nucleus)

Characteristics

2. Many feeding patterns

• some plant-like,• some animal-like,• some saprophytes

(absorb food like fungi do)• some parasites

(pathogens)

3. Habitats

Almost anywhere there is water

4. Reproductiona. Alternation of Generations

☯ switch btwn. asexual repro. (spores)

& sexual repro. (gametes) & back again

5. Multicellularity

❀ Cells specialized for f(x)s

❀ Division of labor❀ E.g. holdfast cell,

gamete-forming cells

Holdfast cell

6. Classification by Exclusion

✿ If organism doesn’t belong in any other phylum, put it in this one!

I.e. Weirdos go in this group!

7. Protist Groupsa. Pseudopodia for locomotion

= “false feet”

Animal-like, parasitesAMOEBAS

E.g. ★Amoeba

E.g. Entamoeba histolytica(amoebic dysentary)

8. Protist Groups

b. Foraminifera

Source of CaCo3

(calcium carbonate / chalk)

E.g. The

white cliffs

of Dover

8. Protist Groups

c. Diatoms Photosynthetic, unicellular, double shells

of SiO3(glass)

8. Protist Groups

d. Green Algaeplant-like protists

E.g. ★Volvox, endosymbionts of jellyfish

8. Protist Groups

e. Red Algae

Source of agar

(growth medium for bacteria)

8. Protist Groups

f. Brown Algae

E.g.

kelp

8. Protist GroupsProtists with

Flagella (animal-like)g. Dinoflagellates

E.g. Gonyaulux Capable of

bioluminescence(glowing in the dark)

the red tidemakes scallopstoxic to humans

Red (Crimson) Tide

8. Protist Groups

✰Trichonympha in termites

digest wood (cellulose)

✰Causes giardia / backpackers’ disease

8. Protist Groupsh. Euglenoids e.g. ★Euglena

★use flagella to move

8. Protist Groupsi. Cilia for locomotion -Ciliates)

★Paramecium

8. Protist Groups

j. Slime MoldsCellularAcellular

8. Protist Groups

k. Water MoldsE.g. potato blight

Caused potato famine

in Ireland

1845-1847

400,000 starved

8. Protist Groups

l. ★SporozoansCannot move themselvesMove via vectors

l. ★Sporozoans

EXAMPLES:E.g. Plasmodium (causes malaria)

vector = Anopheles mosquito

E.g. Toxoplasmolysis (from cat feces

causes fetal death)

E.g. African sleeping sickness

vector = tsetse fly