Protists and Humans The good, the bad, and the tiny terrors Protists and Humans 1.Protists can be beneficial to humans as well as the ecosystem as a whole 2.They can also be tiny terrors causing disease in humans and livestock and costing money for disease treatment and loss of livestock Beneficial Protists 3.Some protists live in the digestive tracts of humans and cattle and may aid in digestion 4.They make up much of the plankton in the oceans a)The bases of food chains (commercial fisheries) 5.Diatoms are used in reflective paints, filters, and abrasives Beneficial Protists (Cont.) 7.Large multicellular algae is eaten! (sushi and food emulsifier) 8.Protists are the single largest group of photosynthesizers on the planet!!! A.They produce a lot of the oxygen that we breathe 9.Many are detritivores a.They help break down wastes and recycle nutrients baby food beer bread breakfast bars cake mix canned gravy canned sauces chocolate milk cookies dog food donuts dyed fabric frozen dinners mashed potato mix juice drink lipstick macaroni and cheese mayonnaise paint pancake mix paper products pickles salad dressing shaving cream shoe polish syrup toothpaste whipped cream topping yogurt 29 KELP PRODUCTS Harmful Protists: Can cause disease! Malaria African Sleeping Sickness Chagas Disease Amebic dysentery Giardiasis 10. Malaria a.Caused by Plasmodium species b.Transmitted by mosquitoes (Anopheles) c.Symptoms: Fever, severe chills, sweats, confusion, and great thirst d.Over 100 million people have malaria at any one time (like right now!) e.Up to 3 million people (mostly children) die from it each year f.Can be treated/prevented with quinine found in the bark of cinchona trees 11. African Sleeping Sickness a.Caused by Trypanosoma gambiense and Trypanosoma rhodesiense b.Transmitted by tsetse flies c.Symptoms: Fever, weakness, lethargy d.Occurs in Africa e.First symptoms include a rash and a tell tale sore that looks bad, but rarely hurts f.If left untreated it is deadly g.The earlier it is diagnosed the better chance of survival (and less toxic drugs can be used) 12. Chagas Disease a.A new world version of African Sleeping Sickness (American trypanosomiasis) b.Caused by Trypanosoma cruzi c.Transmitted by kissing bug d.Syptoms: Acute: Fever, swelling of the brain, rash a.Chronic: Heart and intestinal damage e.Can have mild symptoms for decades (10-20 years) f.If left untreated it can be deadly 13. Amoebic Dysentery a.Caused by Entamoeba histolytica b.Transmitted by fecal contamination of water or food c.Symptoms: Bloody diarrhea, vomiting, extremely strong stomach cramping, fever d.It can even cause ulcers in the intestines due to the inflammation! 14. Giardiasis (Giardia) a.Caused by Giardia lamblia b.Transmitted by contaminated water or food (even clean water) c.Symptoms: Cramps, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting d.One of the leading causes of illness due to water in the world E. Prevention i.In the United States, the best way to prevent protist diseases is to make sure to drink clean water can be boiled if unsure Think about places like New Orleans that had their clean water sources contaminated! 15. Prevention In other places where insect borne illness is common, the best prevention is to prevent being bitten by the insects a.Mosquito nets used at night b.Insect control programs The End