Kingdom Protista

Kingdom Protista

Definition – Protists are the most diverse Kingdom of eukaryotes

•Diverse – Different

•Eukaryote – Organized nucleus and organelles (plants, animals, fungi)

Do any of these protists look the same?

3 Key Points of Protists

1. Protists are eukaryotic

2. Protists are the most diverse group of organisms

3. No high level organization, simplist form of eukaryote

Five Groups of Protists

1. Ancient : Bacteria-like

2. Euglenoids : Plant-like and Animal-like (flagella)

3. Alveolata : Plant-like and Animal-like

4. Algae : Plant-like

5. Slime Molds: Fungus-like

Ancient Protists•The first Protists resemebled the simple types of organisms.

Bacteria!!!

A prokaryotic organism

**Ancient protists are the first eukaryotic organisms

Nucleus is enclosed

Ancient Protists (cont’d)

**Scientist believe that ancient protists are the first eukaryotic organisms because …

•Have first membrane bound nucleus

•Do not have mitochondria

Mitochondria = Energy

Where does the Energy Come from?

Ancient Protists (cont’d)

Protists that lack mitochondria get their energy from…

THEIR ENVIRONMENT!!!

•Giardia live in the intestines of animals

•They get their food through absorbtion

Giardia (Beaver Fever)Characteristics of Giardia

1. Two large nuclei

2. Flagella for movement

3. Transmitted through oral-fecal route

4. Causes severe diarrhea

Think Twice before drinking that stream water!!!

Euglenoids

Unlike Ancient Protists, Eugleonoids have a single large mitochondria.

• Known as flagellates

• Single flagella

•Animal-like (heterotrophs)

•Plant-like (autotrophs)

Euglena

• Autotrophic

• Heterotrophic

• Absorb nutrients from environment

• Engulfing their prey by phagocytosis

• Anterior Flagellum

Trypanosoma(African Sleeping Sickness)

• Infects humans, domestic, and wild animals

•Destroys red blood cells

= Loss of HEMOBLOBIN

= Loss of Oxygen to the cells

= Weakness

= Death Wormlike with dorsal flagellum

Trypanosoma cruzi

•Kissing bug

•Sucks blood and defecates at same time

•Feces itches=scratching

Trypanosoma brucei

•Tsetse fly

•Transmitted through bite

Alveolata (Protozoans)

•Very diverse group

•Most are animal-like

•Cilia covered bodies

•May are disease causeing

•Heterotrophic

•Englufing by phagocytosis

Phagocytosis(process of capturing food)

Dinoflagellates• Marine phytoplankton

• Float neat waters surface

• Red in color

Dinoflagellate Blooms

• Reproductive rates increase

• Too many dinoglagellates

• Causes water to become toxic

• Known as Red Tide

ParameciumCharacteristics

1. Single celled

2. Ciliates

• Cillia beat to cause currents

• Use to get food

• Heterotrophic

• Oral groove

Amoeba

Characteristics

1. Single Celled

2. Use pseudopods to get food

Pseudopods = fingerlike extensions

• Extend pseudopods around food and engluf it.

Radiolarian

• Marine Organisms

• Shells made of silica

• Use points for feeding

When a radiolarian dies, it’s shell sinks to the floor of the ocean. In some places these shell remains are over 100 meters thick.

Algal Protists

*** All Algae are photosynthetic (autotrophs)

Most are grouped by the color of their pigments.

Blue Greens – Chlorophyll

Red – xanthophyll

Brown – xanthopyll and caritinoids

Golden - chrysophyll

Mixed Diatoms(unicellular)

• Live in Glass Houses

• Yellow or Brown in Color

• Freshwater and marine

• Made of silica

Uses of Diatoms

Toothpaste, deodorant, filtering, creating fire resistant products

Volvox(colonial)

• Colonial organism• Colonies with daughter colonies• Colonies may be over 500 cells

• Pond algae• Autotrophic (green in color)• Each has a pair of flagella

• beat at same time to move colony

Kelp(multicellular)

Kelp(multicellular)

• Type of organization

• Kelp forests offer habitat for aquatic organisms

Would you eat kelp? Most sushi is wrapped in kelp.

Fastest growing organism (60m in one year)

Slime Molds• Very much like fungi

• little organization

• very complex reproduction (unlike fungi)

Plasmodium Slime MoldsUnicellular

Very complex organism

• amoeba-like

• swarm to large plasma cell

The pictures on the right is one cell, with thousands of nuclei!!

Cellular Slime Molds

Multicellular

Have little “fruiting bodies”

Reproduce asexually

Summary

1. Protists are the most diverse Kingdom

2. Some are like : bacteria, plants, animals, fungi

3. They can be autotrophic or heterotrophic

4. Most are unicellular, but can be multi or colonial