28. Protists Flashcards
Key concepts
28.1 Most eukaryotes are single-celled organisms
28.2 Excavates include protists with modified mitochondria and protists with unique flagella
28.3 SAR is a highly diverse group of protists defined by DNA similarities
28.4 Red algae and green algae are the closest relatives of plants
28.5 Unikonts include protists that are closely related to fungi and animals
28.6 Protists play key roles in ecological communities
protists
an informal term applied to any eukaryote that is not a plant, animal or fungus. Most protists are unicellular, though some are colonial or multicellular
mixotroph
an organism that is capable of both photosynthesis and heterotrophy
endosymbiosis
a relationship between two species in which one organism lives inside the cell or cells of another organism
algae
a general term for any species of photosynthesis protist, including both unicellular and multicellular forms. Algal species are included in three eukaryote supergroups (Excavata, SAR and Archaeplastida)
secondary endosymbiosis
a process in eukaryotic evolution in which a heterotrophic eukaryotic cell engulfed a photosynthetic eukaryotic cell, which survived in a symbiotic relationship inside the heterotrophic cell.
Supergroups of eukaryotes
- Excavata
- SAR
- Archaeplastida
-Unikonta
Excavata
- have unique cytoskeletal features
- some species have an excavated feeding groove on one side of the cell body
diplomonad
a protist that has modified mitochondria, two equal- sized nuclei and multiple flagella
parabasilid
a protist such as trichomonad, with modified mitochondria
euglenozoan
a member of a diverse clade of flagellated protists that includes predatory heterotrophs, photosynthetic autotrophs and pathogenic parasites
kinetoplastid
a protist such as a trypanosome, that has a single large mitochondrion that houses and organized mass of DNA
euglenid
a protist such as a euglena or its relatives characterized by an anterior pocket from which one or two flagella emerge
SAR
- contains a large, extremely diverse collection of protists from three major subgroups: stramenopiles, alveolates and rhizarians
stramenopiles
one of three major subgroups for which the SAR eukaryotic supergroup is named. This clade arose by secondary endosymbiosis and includes diatoms and brown algae
diatoms
photosynthetic protist in the stramenopile clade; diatoms have a unique glass-like wall made of silicon dioxide embedded in an organic matrix
brown alga
a multicellular, photosynthetic protist with a characteristic brown or olive color that results from carotenoids in its plastids. Most brown algae are marine and some have a plantlike body
holdfast
a rootlike structure that anchors a seaweed
stipe
a stemlike structure of a seaweed
blade
- a leaflike structure of a seaweed that provides most of the surface area for photosynthesis
- the flattened portion of a typical leaf
alternation of generations
a life cycle in which there is both a multicellular diploid form, the sporophyte and a multicellular haploid form, the gametophyte; characteristic of plants and some algae
heteromorphic
referring to a condition in the life cycle of plants and certain algae in which the sporophyte and gametophyte generations differ in morphology
isomorphic
referring to alternating generations in plants and certain algae in which the sporophytes and gametophytes look alike, although they differ in chromosome number
alveolates
one of the three major subgroups for which the SAR eukaryotic supergroup is named. This clade arose by secondary endosymbiosis, and its members have membrane-enclosed sacs (alveoli) located just under the plasma membrane
dinoflagellate
a member of a group of mostly unicellular photosynthetic algae with two flagella situated in perpendicular grooves in cellulose plates covering the cell
apicomplexan
a group of alveolate protists, this clade includes many species that parasitize animals. Some apicomplexans cause human disease
ciliates
a type of protist that moves by means of cilia
conjugation
- in prokaryotes the direct transfer of DNA between two cells that are members of different species, conjugation results in horizontal gene transfer
- in ciliates, a sexual process in which two cells exchange haploid micronuclei but do not reproduce
rhizarians
one of the three major subgroups for which the SAR eukaryotic supergroup is named. Many species in this clade are amoebas characterized by threadlike pseudopodia
amoeba
a protist characterized by the presence of pseudopodia