Protists Flashcards
What are protists
Protists are eukaryotic and typically unicellular
How do you classify protists
Based on how they obtain nutrients
What are the 3 groups of protists
Animal like (Protozoans), Fungus like, and Plant like
Examples of animal like protists
amoebas, ciliates, flagellates
Examples of fungus like protists
Water moulds, slime moulds
Example of Plant like protists
Euglenoids, Diatoms, Dinoflagellates
Characteristics of animal like protists
Heterotrophs - need to consume other organisms for energy (like animals), some are parasitic
Characteristics of fungus like protists
Heterotrophs - absorb nutrients from living or dead organisms instead of ingesting them (like fungus)
Characteristics of plant like protists
Autotrophs - makes own food via photosynthesis (like plants) usually through pigment chlorophyll (green colour)
Cercozoans
Example - Ameoba.
No cell wall and can change shape.
Move/feed using pseudopods
Ciliates
Example - Paramecium
They are classified based on their hair like projections called CILIA - used for locomotion and feeding
Flagellates
Example -Flagellates
Has a long hair like projection extending from cell membrane - FLAGELLUM - used for feeding and locomotion
Plasmodial Slime mould
Visible to human eye - slug like
Engulf small particles of food into their cytoplasm
Cellular Slime mould
Exist as an individual ameoboid with one nucleus each.
Feeds by ingesting tiny bacteria/yeast cells
Can release a chemical when food is scarce to join together (pseudoplasmodium)
Water moulds
Filimentous organisms that resemble fungi.
Most live on dead organic matter but some are parasitic (fish) . Example - extend fungus like threads into host tissues, where they release digestive enzymes
