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.