KINGDOM PROTISTA
The Kingdom Protista contains protozoan, algae, slime molds, and water molds.
All protists are eukaryotic.
Protists are classified into 3 groups:
- Animal-like protists
- Plant-like protists
- Fungus-like protists
• These protists are known as a protozoan. Protozoa means “little animal”.
• These “little animals” are unicellular and heterotrophic.
• They hunt and gather other microbes for food.
Protozoans
• Protozoans are grouped by the way in which they move.
• There are three groupings:
– protozoans with cilia or flagella
– protozoans with a pseudopodia
– protozoans that are nonmotile
Ciliates & Flagellates• Ciliates move by using cilia.
• Example: Paramecium _____________________
• Flagellates move by whipping their flagella.
• Example: Giardia lambliaa protozoan that can cause disease in humans who drink water that has been exposed to muskrats or beavers.
Amoebas• Amoebas are blob-like protists.
• Amoebas move by forming pseudopodia or “false feet”.
• As they move, they can also extend their pseudopodia around food and engulf it.
Nonmotile Protozoans• Protozoans that cannot move
are called sporozoans.
• Parasites benefit from their host however the host is harmed.
• Malaria is a disease which is caused by sporozoans that are spread by mosquitoes.
• Plant-like protists are known as algae.
• All algae are photosynthetic and have one or more types of chlorophyll.
• Photosynthesing protists are a major producer of nutrients for water ecosystems and a major oxygen producer for the world.
Algae
• Algae is classified into 6 groups :
– Euglenoids, diatoms and dinoflagellates– These are all unicellular species.
– Green, red and brown algae – Some of these protists are unicellular, while others are
multicellular.
Euglenoids• Euglenoids are unicellular, aquatic protists that have
plant and animal traits.
• They DO NOT have a cell wall but they DO contain chlorophyll.
• When light cannot be found
with an eyespot, they are
able to ingest food from
the surrounding water.
http://protist.i.hosei.ac.jp/PDB/Images/Mastigophora/Euglena/caudata/caudata_1.jpg
Diatoms• Diatoms are unicellular
protists with shells made of silica.
• These organisms are photosynthetic autotrophs.
• When diatoms die, their glasslike remains are used for tooth and metal polishes.
Dinoflagellates
• They have a cell wall composed of thick cellulose plates and flagella.
• These protists are unicellular and autotrophic.
Green, Red & Brown Algae
• Algae may look like a plant however they have no leaves, stems or roots.
• They are photosynthetic autotrophs that contain different pigments.
• Algae which is green contains chlorophyll.
• Examples: kelp and Sargasso seaweed
• All fungus-like protists obtain energy from decomposing organic materials.
• Slime molds, water molds and downy mildews make up this group.
Slime Molds• There are two types: plasmodial and cellular
slime molds.
• Slime molds are like animals since they move around and engulf food. They are like fungus because they reproduce by making spores.
http://rds.yahoo.com/S=96062857/K=slime+molds/v=2/SID=e/l=II/R=2/SS=i/OID=7c6b0d2256d6f1bc/SIG=1kp17ehas/*-http%3A//images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dslime%2Bmolds%26ei%3DUTF-8%26fr%3DFP-tab-img-t%26fl%3D0%26x%3Dwrt&h=1024&w=1280&imgcurl=www.caes.state.ct.us%2FPlantoffice%2FPlantDiseaseoftheWeek%2F2001%2Fslime3.jpg&imgurl=www.caes.state.ct.us%2FPlantoffice%2FPlantDiseaseoftheWeek%2F2001%2Fslime3.jpg&size=396.8kB&name=slime3.jpg&rcurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.caes.state.ct.us%2FPlantoffice%2FPlantDiseaseoftheWeek%2FPlantDiseaseoftheWeekArchived.htm&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.caes.state.ct.us%2FPlantoffice%2FPlantDiseaseoftheWeek%2FPlantDiseaseoftheWeekArchived.htm&p=slime+molds&type=jpeg&no=2&tt=381
Water Molds & Downy Mildews
• These organisms live in water and moist places.
• They are similar to fungus because they decompose matter
• Their method of reproduction is much different than fungi.
http://rds.yahoo.com/S=96062883/K=molds+of+water/v=2/SID=e/l=IVI/SIG=13e3f07oj/*-http%3A//www.apsnet.org/education/K-12PlantPathways/TeachersGuide/Activities/WaterMold/images/Lofng80sm.JPG
• Protists play an important part in the environment by producing oxygen for ecosystems.
• They also play a role in food chains. Some are eaten and others are the hunters.
• The large, multicellular algae form habitats for other organisms.
• Some protozoan and sporozoan produce diseases of plants and animals. It is important to study these protists to eliminate infection.
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