Prostista Kingdom

What is a Protist? Protists are organisms that are classified into the kingdom Protista. The protists form a group of organisms that really do not fit into any other kingdom. Although there is a lot of variety within the protists, they do share some common characteristics. All protists are eukaryotic. That is, all protists have cells with nuclei. In addition, all protists live in moist environments. Protists can be unicellular or multicellular. Protists can be microscopic or can be over 100 meters (300 feet) long. Some protists are heterotrophs, while others are autotrophs. Since protists vary so much, we will group them into three subcategories: animal-like protists, fungus-like protists, and plant-like protists. Animal-like Protists Protists that are classified as animal-like are called protozoans and share some common traits with animals. All animal-like protists are heterotrophs. Likewise, all animal-like protists are able to move in their environment in order to find their food. Unlike, animals, however, animal-like protists are all unicellular. Animal-like protists are divided into four basic groups based on how they move and live.

Animal-like Protists Phylum Characteristics Example Description

Mastigophorans

Protists with flagella

Trypanosoma The Giardia is another example of this type of animallike protist.

These protists move by beating their long whiplike structures called flagella. These protists can have one or more flagella that help them move. Many of these protists live in the bodies of other organisms. Sometimes, they help their Giardia Anatomy host, while at other times they harm their host. Amoeba
Anatomy

Sarcodines

Protists with pseudopods

These protists move by extending their bodies forward and then pulling the rest of their bodies forward as well. The finger-like structures that they project forward are called pseudopods. The pseudopods are also used to trap food. These protists are chartacterized mainly by the way they live. All of these protists areparasites. Many of these protists cause diseases such as malaria. These protists move by beating tiny hairlike structures called cilia. The cilia act as tiny oars that allows the protist to move through its watery environment. The cilia also help the protists capture food.

Sporozoa

Parasitic protists

Plasmodium
Sporozoans Life Cycle

Ciliates

Protists with cilia

Paramecium
Anatomy

Protozoans - "Animal-like" protista All Those members of the protista kingdom which act like animals

Cannot make their own food Most display a great deal of movement Protozoans Possess many "Animal-like" characteristics Particularly movement Some cannot make their own food Many relationships from - free living, parasitic, saprophytic, mutualistic Often classified by how they move Amoeba - moves with Pseudopods (false feet) Paramecium - moves with cilia Flagellates - move like the Euglena flagellum Sporozoans - produce spores Trypanosoma Amoeba

Plasmodium

Paramecium

Fungus-like Protists Fungus-like protists are heterotrophs with cell walls. They also reproduce by forming spores. All fungus-like protists are able to move at some point in their lives. There are essentially three types of fungus-like protists: water molds, downy mildews, and slime molds.

Fungus-like Protists Phylum Characteristics Example Description

Myxomycota Acrasiomycota

Heterotrophic, amoeboid mass calledplasmodium Heterptrophic, separate cells

Plasmodial slime mold Live in moist soil and on decaying plants and trees; Cellular slime molds Very colorful Move by formingpseudopods Feed on bacteria and other microorganisms. Water Molds Live in water or moist environments Look like tiny threads with a fuzzy covering Attack food such as potatoes, cabbage, and corn and can destroy whole crops Live in water or moist environments Look like tiny threads with a fuzzy covering Attack food such as potatoes, cabbage, and corn and can destroy whole crops

Heterotrophs with cell walls, reproduce by forming spores, able to move at some point in their lives

Heterotrophs with cell walls, reproduce by forming spores, able to move at some point in their lives

Downy Mildews

Fungus Like Protists

All Those members of the protista kingdom which act like fungus Small group Often brightly colored

Slime Molds Myxomycota Multicellular Change form during life cycle Tend to live in damp locations Slime Molds The three stages are similar to that of other organisms. Plasmodial Slime Mold

Cellular slime molds

Water Mold

Downy Mildew

Plant-like Protists

Plant-like protists are autotrophic. They can live in soil, on the bark of trees, in fresh water, and in salt water. These protists are very important to the Earth because they produce a lot of oxygen, and most living things need oxygen to survive. Furthermore, these plant-like protists form the base of aquatic food chains. These plant-like protists can be unicellular, multicellular, or live in colonies. The plant-like protists are divided into three basic groups: euglenoids, diatoms / algae and dinoflagellates

Plant-like Protists Phylum Euglenophytes Characteristics Unicellular, photosynthetic, single flagellum Example Euglena Euglenoid Anatomy Euglenoid Parts Autotrophs when sunny Heterotrophs wh en dark Unicellular Found mostly in fresh water Some have flagellum Description

Chrysophytes

Unicellular, photosynthetic, chlorophyll a and c

Diatoms / algae Diatom Anatomy

Unicellular Glasslike cell walls Used in toothpastes, scouring

products, and as filters

Green Algae Algae

Are green in color Mostly unicellula r, but some form colonies, and a few are multicellular Live in fresh water, salt water, and a few live on land Multicellular Commonly called sea weed Live in deep salt water Are used by humans to help make ice cream and hair conditioner Are eaten in some Asian

Red Algae

cultures

Brown Algae

Multicellular Commonly called sea weed Have large leaflike structures called blades Have air-filled sacs called air bladders Have root-like structure called holdfast Live in salt water Are used by humans to help make pudding and salad dressing

Dinoflagellates

Unicellular, two spinning flagella, chlorophyll a and c

Unicellular Covered by stiff Dinoflagellate plates Anatomy Have two flagella May glow in the dark Found in ocean

Gessnerium

Euglena

Diatoms

Golden Brown Algae

Dinoflagellates

Sporozoans - produce spores Sporozoans Passive movement (none) The organism which causes Malaria

Plasmodium Life Cycle

Life Cycle

VOCABULARY: autotroph: an organism that can make its own food

bacteria: a prokaryoticmicroorganism cilia: small hair-like projections used for movement and to obtain food by ciliate protozoans colony: a group of individual organisms living together decomposer: organisms that eat decaying materials and help to return necessary elements to the environment eukaryotic: a cell with a nucleus flagella: tiny whiplike structures used in movement and feeding in flagellate protozoans (flagellum is the singular form) heterotroph: an organism that feeds on other organisms host: the organism on which a parasite lives malaria: a disease spread when healthy misquitoes bite people and transfer the protist Plasmodium into the person; the disease is characterized by high fevers that alternate with severe chills microorganism: an organism that cannot be seen without the use of a microscope multicellular: composed of more than one cell parasites: an organism that lives in or on another organism; may be harmful, helpful, or indifferent to host prokaryotic: a cell without a nucleus protozoans: animal-like members of the kingdom Protista

pseudopod: "false foot"; a structure used by amebas and slime molds for movement spore: tiny cell that can grow into an organism unicellular: composed of only one cell Mastigophora / Tripanosoma Flagellates - move like the Euglena Mastigophora Often have more than one flagellum The organism which causes African sleeping sickness - carried by the testie fly Some live in the digestive tracts of termites and assist in the digestion of cellulose.

Giardia Anatomy and Life Cycle

Giardia intestinalis (syn. Giardia lamblia)

Cysts are resistant forms and are responsible for transmission of giardiasis. Both cysts and trophozoites can be found in the feces (diagnostic stages) (1) . The cysts are hardy and can survive several months in cold water. Infection occurs by the ingestion of cysts in contaminated water, food, or by the fecal-oral route (hands or fomites) (2) . In the small intestine, excystation releases trophozoites (each cyst produces two trophozoites) (3) . Trophozoites multiply by longitudinal binary fission, remaining in the lumen of the proximal small bowel where they can be free or attached to the mucosa by a ventral sucking disk (4) . Encystation occurs as the parasites transit toward the colon. The cyst is the stage found most commonly in nondiarrheal feces (5) . Because the cysts are infectious when passed in the stool or shortly afterward, person-to-person transmission is possible. While animals are infected with Giardia, their importance as a reservoir is unclear. Geographic Distribution: Worldwide, more prevalent in warm climates, and in children. Amoeba Feeding

Amoeba Anatomy

Phylum Sarcodina Pseudopods (false feet) projections of cytoplasm. Some surrounded by a calcium "shell" Amoeba has no definite shape Amoeba Parts Nucleus Pseudopods Food Vacuole Cell membrane Amoeba Feeding Pseudopods Amoeba Movement Pseudopods Shape is constantly changing Food is surrounded by pseudopods and stored in a food vacuole Amoeba Movement and Feeding Amoeba Reproduction

Asexual reproduction Pseudopods start pulling apart Nuclear material replicates itself Pseudopods pull apart splitting the cell The nucleus splits Two smaller cells result Paramecium Anatomy

Paramecium Moves using cilia - short hairs lining cell Ciliophora Paramecium Parts Macro nucleus Micronucleus Cilia Food Vacuole Contractile Vacuole Oral Groove Cell membrane Other Ciliophora Stentor Vorticella Spinostomium Paramecium Reproduction Asexual reproduction

Nuclear material replicates itself Nuclear material splits itself Cell starts pulling apart Two smaller cells result Algae All Those members of the protista kingdom which act like plants Algaes are also found in the Moneran and Plant kingdoms Possess more "Plant-like" characteristics Other "algaes" are grouped with the monerans and others with plants. Vary in color and often named by its color. Most live in water, some on damp surfaces Make up a large part of the plankton of the oceans All algae contain chlorophyll and carry on photosynthesis Euglenoid Anatomy Euglenoids

Most are unicellular Possess movement like animals Move by using whip like tail called flagellum (one only)

Example Euglena Reproduces asexually Euglenoid Parts Nucleus Chloroplasts

Flagellum Eye spot Cell membrane

Dinoflagellate Anatomy Unicellular Covered by stiff plates Have two flagella

May glow in the dark Found in ocean

Dinoflagellates - Pyrophyta Surrounded with "plates"

Has two flagella Phosphorescent algae Responsible for "red tides" Contains toxins Diatom Anatomy Diatoms - Chrysophyta (golden algae) Golden brown algae Two part shell of silicon (glass)

Food stored as oil Responsible for most oil consumed today Diatom Parts