KINGDOM PROTISTA Protist Characteristics Organisms in the kingdom Protista first appeared about 1.5 billion years ago.

. Protists are eukaryotic organisms unlike Monerans. Eukaryotes Organelles/ Cytoplasm has suspended Cell parts membrane surrounded organelles (for example, nucleus, chloroplasts, mitochondria, vacuoles) and ribosomes. Genetic Material Genetic material (DNA) is A true nucleus surrounded concentrated in a region called the by a membrane contains nucleoid, but no membrane DNA. A nucleolus contains separates this region from the rest RNA. of the cell. Metabolism Chemical reactions to support the Chemical reactions are work of the cell are carried out carried out in specialized throughout the cytoplasm. membrane-surrounded organelles. General Characteristics Kingdom Protista contains 115,000 species, and they are extremely diverse in their cell structures, patterns of nutrition, metabolic needs, reproduction, and habitats. This Kingdom contains a grab-bag of organisms that do not fit into the other kingdoms. Protists are extremely difficult to classify so for the purposes of this class we will group them by their nutritional patterns. Animal-like Protists These are often called protozoans and are animal-like because they eat or ingest material from their surroundings. Zooflagellates : These protists possess one or more flagella used for locomotion. Some zooflagellates are heterotrophic and feed on other protists. Other species live as internal parasites on animals, including humans and may be pathogenic. Examples: Sleeping sickness (a serious African disease) is caused by the parasitic zooflagellate Trypanosoma gambiensis. Its carrier is the tsetse fly. Giardia, a zooflagellate, can cause digestive problems in humans. This illness known as beaver fever is caused by drinking polluted lake water. Trichonympha, is a wood digesting zooflagellate which lives by the thousands in the guts of termites. Amoebas are single-celled protozoans with no set body shape. They create temporary projections of cytoplasm called pseudopods to move and feed. They feed on small organisms by endocytosis, engulfing organisms with their pseudopods. Some amoebas are parasitic. An example is amoebic dysentery which is caused by a species of Entamoeba commonly found in tropical regions. They enter the digestive Prokaryotes Cytoplasm contains a watery suspension of ions, enzymes, macromolecules, and ribosomes, floating freely inside the cell membrane.

system after a person drinks infected water. They feed on the intestinal walls causing bleeding. They form cysts, to prevent being digested and are passed out in the feces. Ciliates These protozoans are covered with hair-like projections (cilia) which move back and forth like oars to move the organism. Unlike amoebas, ciliates have a rigid outer covering called a pellicle that maintains their shape. All of these organisms are aquatic and heterotrophic. They inhabit both salt and fresh water. A freshwater ciliate called Paramecium is one of the most common species in the group. The beating of the cilia sweeps food into its oral groove. When food reaches the end of the oral groove, the membrane pinches off, surrounds the food and a food vacuole is formed. Food is discharged through an anal pore. Paramecium have two types of nuclei- a large macronucleus and one or more small micronuclei. Asexual reproduction occurs by binary fission, and sexual reproduction is used in the form of conjugation. Sporozoans are protists that produce spores during their asexual phase of reproduction. They are non-motile and parasitic, obtaining their nutrients from the bodies of their hosts. Example : Plasmodium cause Malaria. Fungus-like Protists All are heterotrophic and most are decomposers that feed on dead plants and animals by endocytosis. They tend to live in cool, damp places. Three major phyla: acellular slime moulds, cellular slime moulds, and water moulds. Plant-like Protists 24,000 species of protists that contain chlorophyll and carry out photosynthesis Euglenoids are unicellular flagellates Euglena is a freshwater organism that moves using a flagellum. In the day, it is fully autotrophic and it photosynthesizes. In the dark, it become heterotrophic and feeds on dead organic material in the water. Algae are protists that resemble plants because they have chloroplasts and chlorophyll. Some algae are single-celled, others live in colonies, and other species are multicellular, reaching enormous size. There are six groups of algae. We will discuss three of the main groups. Diatoms- are a golden colouration due to yellow-brown pigments contained within their glasslike shells made of silica. Their outer covering is made of two halves. They are tremendously abundant in the oceans and are the key food source in marine and freshwater ecosystems. Dinoflagellates- are single celled algae that have two flagella. Most are photosynthetic, though some are heterotrophs. They are extremely abundant in both marine and freshwater environments. Each species has a characteristic shape. They are luminescent when the surrounding water is agitated. Dinoflagellates grow rapidly when nutrients in the water increase or ocean temperatures rise. Gonyaulax polyhedron produces a red-tide and also produces

toxins. As shellfish and fish feed on them the toxins concentrate in their bodies and can move through the food chain. Green Algae- can be single-celled, or colonial. Each cell has two flagella, which move the cell around. They live in fresh water. Thought to give rise to the first plants because of their many similarities. Other groups of algae are large, multicellular, and are commonly known as seaweeds. Algae perform 50-75% of all photosynthesis on Earth, and so provide most of the worlds oxygen. Some types of algae are eaten as is, but algae are mostly used in the manufacture of food products. (i.e. Dulse and Sea vegetables.) Carrageenans are extracted from red algae and are used in stabilizing and gelling foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and industrial products. Protist Review 1. Small, hair-like projections used for locomotion by paramecia are (a) pseudopodia (b) cilia (c) flagella (d) mycorrhizae 2. The kingdom Protista contains (a) the unicellular prokaryotes (b) the unicellular eukaryotes (c) only animal-like eukaryotes (d) the Fungi 3. What are some important differences between Monerans and Protists? 4. Why do protists live in aqueous environments? 5. What three groups make up the kingdom Protista? 6. What characteristics distinguish plant-like protists from animal-like protists? 7. Would you expect all students to observe exactly the same shape when observing a live amoeba under the microscope? Explain. 8. What is a pseudopod? 9. Unlike the higher plants, plant-like protists do not have roots, stems, or leaves. Explain why they do not require these structures? 10. Why are multicellular algae not classified as plants? 11. What is the function of the cilia on the surface of Paramecium? 12. If you observe a contractile vacuole in a protist, what is the most likely habitat for the organism? 13. All protists are eukaryotic. Why, then, is this not considered a trait that defines the group? 14. You have a sample of pond water in which you want to look for protists. The jar has some mud at the bottom and some plant bits as well. Where would you look to find sarcodines? Ciliates? 15. Smaller classification groupings for the Animal-like Protists are based on the following a) colour (b) means of locomotion (c) size of the organisms (d) number of cilia 16. All members of the Kingdom Protista a) are eukaryotes (b) reproduce sexually (c) have cilia (d) do not have a membrane around the nucleus 17. The Kingdom Protista is often described as the junk drawer when it comes to classification of organisms. Explain the meaning of this statement. 18. Discuss the importance of the Protists to life in the pond habitat. 19. Name three methods of locomotion used by some species of protists and describe these methods.