Protista Example Organisms

Giardia intestinalis

Supergroup: Excavata It is a Diplomonad Lives in the intestines of mammals Infects people when they drink water

contaminated with feces that has the cysts of the protist.

Causes severe diarrhea The way to kill the this parasite is by

boiling it.

Trichomonas vaginalis

Supergroup: Excavata It is a Parabasalid It is a sexually transmitted parasite that

infects about 5 million people each year. It travels along the reproductive and

urinary tracts by moving its flagellum along the mucous- coated linings.

Is known to infect the vagina in females, but can also infect the urinary tract in males.

Euglena viridis

Supergroup: Excavata It is a Euglenozoan Has an eyespot which it uses to “look”

for its food Uses flagella to move around

Karenia brevis

Supergroup: Chromalveolata It is a Dinoflagellate Inhabits the Gulf of Mexico Releases toxins that kill invertebrates

and fishes. People who eat mollusks with the

toxins released by this protist can potentially die in serious cases.

Plasmodium falciparum

Supergroup: Chromalveolata It is an Apicomplexan It is a parasite that causes Malaria in

humans Almost all deaths due to malaria are

cases of this specific protist.

Paramecium caudatum

Supergroup: Chromalveolata It is a Ciliate They contain many cilia that help them

to move around and capture their prey They live in fresh water They have 2 nuclei It is sometimes referred to as a “slipper” because of its shape.

Tabellaria fenestrata

Supergroup: Chromalveolata It is a Diatom They are photosynthetic They are found in marine

environments, sometimes attached to marine life.

Prymnesium parvum

Supergroup: Chromalveolata It is a Golden algae It is flagellated, which aids in its

mobility. It produces a toxin that kills fish.

However, it poses no known threat to humans.

Macrocystis pyrifera

Supergroup: Chromalveolata It is a Brown algae It is commonly known as “Giant Kelp” It is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean It can grow up to 45 meters long, as

many as 2 feet a day

Phytophthora infestans

Supergroup: Chromalveolata It is an Oomycete Causes potato late blight, which turn

the roots of potato plants to black slime

Cause of the potato famine in Ireland

Chlorarachnion reptans

Supergroup: Rhizaria It is a Chlorarachniophyte Is an autotrophic amoeba Has a nucleomorph (which shows that

it is an example of endosymbiosis with algae)

Contains pseudopodia

Ammonia tepida

Supergroup: Rhizaria It is a Foram It is a found in marine environments

and can survive under high salinity Has been found in a variety of places,

including European seas, around Guam, in the Gulf of Mexico, and in the Mediterranean.

Sticholonche zanclea

Supergroup: Rhizaria It is a Radiolarian Found in ocean depths of 99- 510

meters Have axopods that give the protists

their buoyancy

Bonnemaisonia hamifera

Supergroup: Archaeplastida It is a Red algae It is brownish- red in color It is found in Ireland and Britain It is a seasonal algae, appearing

between October to March.

Chlamydomonas nivalis

Supergroup: Archaeplastida It is a Chlorophyte Carotenoid pigments in this species

turn snow red, creating a “Watermelon Snow” effect

They can carry out photosynthesis despite the temperatures.

The snow actually acts as a shield for these organisms

Chara braunii

Supergroup: Archaeplastida It is a Charophycean It is sometimes, although rarely, found

in the Baltic Sea at very low salinities It is mainly found in fresh water in

northeastern Europe, particularly Finland, Sweden, and Russia.

Dictyostelium discoideum

Supergroup: Unikonta It is a Slime mold Is most commonly found on forest

floors Is used frequently in studying

multicellularity, because they are examples of how they mutate so that they can reproduce

Difflugia corona

Supergroup: Unikonta It is a Gymnamoeba Eats by using pseudopods to catch the

surrounding organisms It uses pseudopods to move around as

well It is found in marshy areas

Entamoeba histolytica

Supergroup: Unikonta It is an Entamoeba Is pathogenic Causes amebic dysentry Is spread by contaminated water, food,

or eating utensils

Nuclearia thermophile

Supergroup: Unikonta It is a Nucleariid Has been found in warm spring water

in Japan Can exist as either spherical and

floating or a flattened amoeboid form They are heterotrophic

Monosiga brevicollis

Supergroup: Unikonta It is a Choanoflagellate Has been a major topic of study because

its genome has revealed that it has many similarities to algae.

Because it has so many similarities, a hypothesis suggests that in early evolutionary history, a Choanoflagellate engulfed an algae, and this particular species is the result.