Kingdom Protista

Intro to protists

„ Includes mainly unicellular or simple

multicellular organisms
„ recall, protists are a polyphyletic group!
„ 3 informal groups (NOT taxa)
„ 1) protozoa (heterotroph; motile; zooplankton)
„ 2) algae (autotroph; primary producers)
„ 3) slime and water molds (heterotroph; form
spores; fungus-like)
Potential evolutionary relationship of
biological kingdoms...
 Algae
„ informal group of photosynthetic protist
„ uni- or multicellular
„ differ from plants in that:
„ 1) lack roots, stems, leaves
„ 2) lack cuticle
„ 3) restricted to aquatic/wet/damp environments
„ 4) lack gametangia
„ classified according to pigment, energy storage
molecule, cell wall composition, and chloroplact
structure
 Phylum: Euglenophyta
„ Consists of approx 900 spp of unicellular
flagellates (generally 2)
„ asexual reproduction
„ freshwater (pollution indicator spp.)
„ Approx. 1/3 contain chloroplasts
(pigments: chlor. a & b; carotenoids)
„ Other spp. are heterotrophs
„ store food as paramylon (no starch)
 Genus: Euglena
„ No cell wall
„ arrangement of protein
strips forms pellicle beneath
plasma membrane
„ single flagella (anterior end)
„ red “eyespot,” or stigma
(photo-receptor)
„ reproduce via mitosis
„ believed to lack sexual
reproduction
 Phylum: Rhodophyta
„ A.k.a. red algae
„ abundant in tropical and warm freshwater and
marine environments
„ 5,000+ known species (most are multicellular)
„ most are macroscopic seaweeds
„ most red algae seaweeds are sessile
„ well represented in deep water
„ chloroplasts contain phycobillins (pigments which
mask color of cholorphyll a and give red color);
well suited to absorb green and blue-green light
Phylum: Rhodophyta
 Unique features of Rhodophyta

„ Contain NO flagellated cells

„ contain NO centrioles (rather, have polar rings)
„ store food as floridean starch within cytoplasm
„ cell walls consisting of cellulose AND a
mucilaginous layer (of either agar, or
carrageenan)
„ mucilaginous layer is a way to rid body of other
sessile organisms
 Commercial uses of
agar/carageenen

„ Agar: agar for cultures; pill capsules; base for

cosmetics; electrophoresis gels; food preservative;
preparation of jellies and deserts
„ carrageenen: stabilizer of emulsions (e.g., paints,
dairy products, cosmetics)
 The life cycle of Polysiphonia
„ A widespread, marine red algae; filamentous body
„ sex organs arise near tips of branches on haploid
gametophyte
„ haploid gametophyte arises from hapolid tetraspores
„ on male gametophyte, spermatangia occur in dense
clusters (release haploid spermatia)
„ on female gametophyte, carpogonium contain egg
„ following fertilization, diploid carpospores are formed by
mitosis (within carposporangium)
„ carpospores exit, then germinate
„ carpospores give rise to tetrasporophytes
„ tetrasporophyte produces tetraspores via mieosis
Typical red algae lifecycle
 Phylum: Dinoflagellata
„ most unicellular; some colonial
„ shells of interlocking cellulose plates impregnated
with silicates
„ typically w/ 2 flagella (transverse groove;
longitudinal)
„ pigments: chlor. a & c, carotenoids (including
fucoxanthin)
„ zooanthellae (symbionts w/ inverts)
„ primarily asexual reproduction
„ some spp. cause red tides
„ includes some bioluminescent species
Phylum: Dinoflagellata
Phylum: Dinoflagellata
Photo of a Bioluminescent Bay off the
coast of Vieques Island, Puerto Rico
Photo of a people kayaking through
bioluminescent dinoflagellates
 Red Tides
„ Phenomenon associated with population
explosions (blooms) of certain types of
dinoflagellates
„ red structures inside the dinoflagellates cause the
water to have a reddish color
„ dinoflagellates that release a neurotoxin into the
environment (shellfish concentrate this toxin and
it can kill people who eat the contaminated
shellfish)
Red tide off coast of CA
 Phylum: Bacillariophyta (Diatoms)
„ Extremely abundant in
freshwater & marine
environments
„ mainly unicellular; some colonial
„ consists of 2 silica shells
(frustules)
„ radial (centric) or bilateral
(pennate) symmetry
„ major component of plankton
„ pigments: chlor. a & c;
carotenoids (fucoxanthin)
„ carry out 20-25% of all of
Earth’s organic C fixation
„ reproduce asexually or sexually
Centric Diatoms
Pennate Diatoms
Pylum Phaeophyta (brown algae)
„ all are multicellular
„ small (few cm) to large (>75 m)
„ great variety in structure
„ pigments: chlor. a & c; carotenoids
„ store energy as laminarin
„ kelp
„ 1) leaf-like blades; stipe; holdfast)
„ 2) gas-filled air bladders (floats)
„ commercially important (algin, thickening agent; food
source)
Fucus (a.k.a., Rockweed)
Fucus (showing air bladders)
 The life cycle of Fucus

„ Gametangia are formed within conceptacles (which are

found at the tips of branches of diploid individual)
„ gametangia include antheridia and oogonia
„ meiosis forms haploid eggs and sperm
„ meiosis followed by mitosis within gametangia to form
8 eggs per oogonium and 64 sperm per antheridium
„ sperm and eggs are released into water
„ external fertilization
„ diploid zygote grows directly into new individual
Fucus female receptacle
Fucus female receptacle
Fucus male receptacle
Fucus male receptacle
Nereocystis
Bladder kelp
Elk kelp
Kelp forest