Kingdom Protista Flashcards
Why are most Protists grouped together?
Because they do not fit into the other Kingdoms.
Are Protists unicellular or multicellular?
Most are unicellular but Algae is multicellular.
What are animal-like protists?
Protozoans
Examples: Ameoba, paramicia–found in ponds
Some species are parasites (sporazoans) ex. Plasmodium vivax
They are animal-like because they consume other organisms for food.
What are fungus-like protists?
Example: slime and water moulds
They are fungus-like because they absorb nutrients from other organisms, living or dead
some slime moulds consume other organisms. some water moulds are parasites
What are plant-like protists?
Example: Euglenoids, diatoms, dinoflagelates
They are plant like because they photosynthesize
some consume other organisms when light is unavailable.
Some live as symbionts within other organisms
Three types of unicellular plant-like protists: Diatoms
Phytoplankton
single-celled free-floating aquatic organisms
they have diffferent silica walls, glass-like
Three types of unicellular plant-like protists:Dinoflagellates
Phytoplankton
They have two flagella.
Under conditions like plentiful nutrients, they reproduce. The resulting population explosion is called a Bloom or Algal Bloom
In species that have red photosynthetic pigments, the bloom is referred to as a Red Tide. It produces a toxin that becomes concentrated in the tissues of plankton-eating shellfish. If humans eat those shellfish, they can become seriously ill or die.
Euglenoids (could be considered as plant or animal-like)
have plant and animal-like characteristics (chloroplast and flagella)
have a light-detecting structure called an eyespot
Multicellular plant-like protists (algae)
commonly called seaweeds
grouped into 3 phyla based on colour. Green, Red and Brown Algae.
Brown Algae
Kelp
Can grow 60m tall
Red Algae
Appear to have been the first multicellular organisms on earth
Green Algae
most are in fresh water but some are in salt
most green algae are aquatic, lichen-fungus and algae are land
volvox–ball-shaped colonies–thought to have given rise to multicellular plants
