Protista & Fungi

EXERCISE 8

The protists and fungi are extremely diverse groups of organisms that we present together in order to introduce a variety
of life cycles in addition to biodiversity. For each specimen we examine, pay close attention to the nucleus condition,
haploid (n) vs. diploid (2n); where in its life cycle does gamete production, fertilization, meiosis, and spore production
occur; and any specialized stuctures assiciated with the processes.

Kingdom Protista
The diversity of protists is so great that they posses few characteristics in common. They are eukaryotic and represent
the rst group to evolve intracellular structures such as the true nucleus, golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum, chloroplast, and mitochondrion. Moreover, ancient members of this group gave rise to the plants, animals, and fungi. Other
characteristics common to the protists are: almost all are found aquatic or semi-aquatic environments, most require aerobic conditions, most possess agella or cilia at some point in their life history, many are unicellular, and most are capable of producing cysts at some point in their life cycle that are resistant to drought of freezing.
Phyllogenetic relationships among many members of this Kingdom are uncertain and the subject of much debate. At
present, inclusion in the Kingdom Protista is a matter of convenience rather than representing distinct evolutionary
lines. However, protists can be grouped into three basic catagories based on morphological and life cycle traits: the protozoans, algae, and fungus-like protists. It is important to note, however, there is no clear distinction among these
groups. As an example, many agellated protozoans are closely related to the algae and even members of the same
genus have both colorless and chloroplast-containing members.

Protozoa
The name protozoa means rst animals, attributed because most orgamisms of this group engulf their food.
TABLE 52. Summary

of characteristics and examples of protozoan phyla.

Phylum

Characteristcs

Examples

Rhizopoda

possess pseudopods (false feet); lack

meisois and sexual reproduction; naked
or have shells; unicellular

Ameoba, Entamoeba histolytica (causes

amoebic dysentery) Entamoeba coli ( a
common gut commensal); Difugia

Actinopoda

possess axopodia; usually have silica

skeletons and spines; unicellular

heliozoans (mostly freshwater) and

radiolarians (mostly marine)

Foraminifera

possess a calcareous shell; many with

commensal algae; unicellular

Apicomplexa (= Sporozoa)

mostly parasitic; complex life cycle;

unicellular

Plasmodium (causes malaria)

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TABLE 52. Summary

of characteristics and examples of protozoan phyla.

Phylum

Characteristcs

Examples

Zoomastigina

possess agella; unicellular or colonial

Trypanosoma (causes African Sleeping

Sickness, Chagas disease), Trichomonas vaginalis; Giardia; agellates of
termite guts

Ciliophora

possess cilia for locomotion and feeding; unicellular or colonial

Stentor, Paramecium, Vorticella;

rumen ciliates

Algal Protists
These are the eukaryotic algae, which form the base of the food chain for most aquatic habitats.
TABLE 53. Character

Division (=
Phylum)

summary and examples of the major algal divisions.

Pigments

Cell Wall

Food
Store

Flagella

Body form

Other

Examples

Chrysophyta
(Golden
Algae)

chl a, chl c ,
b carotene

lorica of silica & cellulose

lipids &
laminarin

2; unequal
length

unicellular,
colonial

Fall dominant

Dinobryon,
Mallomonas

Bacillariophyta (Diatoms)

chl a, chl c ,
b carotene

silica

oils &
leucosin

none;
gametes 2
unequal

unicellular,
lamentous, colonial

high
diversity

centrics &
pennates

Euglenophyta

chl a, chl c ,
b carotene

reinforced
pellicle

paramylon

2(1,3)

unicellular

stigma;
some colorless

Euglena,
Phacus

Pyrrophyta
(dinoagellates)

chl a, chl c ,
b carotene

internal cellulose plates

starch

2 unequal,
in grooves

unicellular

red tides

Ceratium,
Gymnodiniun

Rhodophyta
(Red Algae)

chl a, biliproteins, a &

b carotene

agar

a glycan

none

unicellular,
lamentous, thallus

deep
tropical
marine

Batrachospermum, Rhodymenia.,
Polysiphonia

Phaeophyta
(Brown Algae)

chl a, chl c,
b carotene

cellulose,
other
polysaccharides

laminarin

none;
gametes 2
unequal

thallus

cold
marine

Laminaria,
Fucus, Sargassum

Chlorophyta
(Green Algae)

chl a, chl b,
b carotene

cellulose

starch

0,2,4,many;
equal

unicellular,
lamentous, colonial

mostly
freshwater

Chlamydomonas, Volvox,
desmids, Spirogyra

114BS/LBS 158H

Kingdom Fungi

Fungus-like Protists
The slime molds and water molds resemble true fungi but they are not closely related to them. Slime molds are decomposers of rotten logs and leaf litter in forested ecosystems, while water molds decompose algae, leaves, and dead animals
in aquatic ecosystems. Some water molds are parasitic and grow on the skin of sh and amphibians or on plants.
TABLE 54. Summary

of characteristics and examples of fungus-like protists.

Phylum

Characteristics

Examples

Myxomycota (Plasmodial
Slime Molds)

ceonocytic, plasmodial feeding stage;

reproductive stage forms sporangia

Physarum, Stemonitus

Acrasiomycota (Cellular
Slime Molds)

solitary cells in feeding stage; reproductive aggregate forms sporangia

Dictyostelium

Oomycota (Water Molds)

hyphae have cellulose cell walls; diploid condition dominates

Phytophthora (causes potato blight),

Ick infection on sh

Kingdom Fungi
The fungi are important decomposers of terrestrial environments as well as parasites of plants and animals. The basic
structure of multicellular fungi includes a thread-like net of hyphae (each thread), which collectively is called mycelium.
Hyphae of most fungi have cross walls, called septae, that divide the thread into cells. Other fungal hyphae are coenocytic, i.e., they lack cross walls.

TABLE 55. Summary

of characteristics and examples of true fungi.

Division

Characteritics

Examples

Zygomycota

asexual spores on sporangia; sexual spores:

zygospores

Rhizopus

Ascomycota

asexual spores: conidia; sexual spores 8 ascospores

in ascus; fruiting body: ascocarp

Morchella, yeast

Basidiomycota

sexual spores: basidiospores on basidium; friuting

body: basidiocarp

Agaricus, toadstools, shelf

mushrooms

Deuteromycota

no sexual reproduction

Penicillium

Lichens
Lichens are an integrated symbiotic relationship between a fungus, usually an ascomycete, and a green or blue-green alga.
They can live in some of the most inhospitable habitats because each supplies what the other cant obtain on its own. The
fungus-part may supply moisture and nutrients, while the algae-part supplies the food source via photosynthesis.

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Exercises
1.

Examine the Mixed Protozoa culture under a compound microscope. Search for rhizopds such as Amoeba; ciliates
such as Paramecium, Vorticella, or Stentor; and agellates. Sketch and label your observations below:

2.

Examine the prepared slide of Actinosphaerium, an actinopod. Sketch the organism and label the axopodia.

3.

Examine the prepared slide of Trypanosoma lewisi, a parasitic agellate of rats. Sketch the agellate and a few blood
cells. How big are red blood cells and the trypanosome?

116BS/LBS 158H

Exercises

4.

View the demonstration of of termite gut agellates and rumen ciliates. Sketch two kinds of agellates and ciliate
from each sample.

5.

Examine the living culture of Mixed Diatoms and Desmids. Diatoms are bacillariophytes and can be recognized by
their golden chloroplasts and glass cell walls; whereas desmids are chlorophytes and have bright green chloroplasts.
Each desmid is composed of two semi-cells conjoined at the center. Can you differentiate the two types of algae?
Sketch and label one or two individuals of each type.

6.

Ask the TA to demonstrate a prepared slide of diatoms. Sketch several pennate and centric diatoms.

7.

View the specimen of Ceratium, a dinoagellate, on demonstration. Sketch and label the cell wall, grooves, and agellae.

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8.

Observe cultures of Chlamydomonas and Volvox. Also obtain a prepared slide of Volvox sexual stages and note the
zygotes. Sketch your observations and label the chloroplast, mother and daughter colonies,

9.

Ask the TA to demonstrate various algae and protozoans in a pond water sample. (You may wish to observe the pond
water sample on your own too.) Be able to identfy the specimens to division and phylum levels. Sketch a few of the
organisms you nd.

10.

View the live specimens of Rhodophyta: Batrachospermum, cold-water stream, lamentous algae, and Rhodymenia, a
tropical marine thallus. Sketch your observations.

View the specimens of marine Phaeophyta on demonstration: Laminaria (a kelp), Fucus (rockweed), and Sargassum
(gulfweed). Identify holdfasts, oats, blades, and reproductive structures.
12. View cultures of Physarium, a myxomycete, under a stereo microscope. Note plasmic streaming of the plasmodium
and the fruiting structures.
11.

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Exercises

13.

Observe the moldy bread (Rhizopus) on display under the stereo microscope. Note the mycelium, sporangia, and sporangiophores. Place a small amount of the Rhizopus culture on a slide and sketch and label your observations. See also
prepared slides of Rhizopus conjugation and note the zygospore.

14.

Observe the Morchella, an ascomycete, on demonstration. Obtain a prepared slide of a Morchella cross-section and
sketch and label the mycelium, asci, and ascospores of the ascocarp.

15.

Observe various specimens of basidiomycetes on demonstration. Obtain a prepared slide of a Coprinus section and
sketch and label the mycelium, basidia and basidiospores of the basidiocarp.

16.

Observe the various lichen specimens on display. Obtain a prepared slide of a lichen section. Note the algal layer.

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120BS/LBS 158H