Protists Section 1

Section 1: Characteristics of Protists

Preview
• Bellringer
• Key Ideas
• What Are Protists?
• Reproduction
• Classifying Protists
• Summary
Protists Section 1

Bellringer
Look at the pictures of different kinds of protists. Organize
the protists into subgroups based on the characteristics you
see.
Protists Section 1

Key Ideas
• What types of organisms are classified as protists?

• What methods of reproduction do protists use?

• Why is the classification of protists likely to change in the

future?
Protists Section 1

What Are Protists?

• From tiny glass stars that float in the ocean to slimy
green fuzz that carpets rocks on the shore, a wide
variety of organisms make up the group we call protists.

• The kingdom Protista is made up of organisms that do

not belong in any of the other kingdoms. As a result, the
members of this kingdom are quite diverse,

• Protists are eukaryotic organisms that cannot be

classified as fungi, plants, or animals.
Protists Section 1

What Are Protists?, continued

• Several important characteristics evolved in protists.
Those characteristics are:
– membrane-bound organelles
– complex cilia and flagella
– sexual reproduction with gametes
– multicellularity
Protists Section 1

What Are Protists?, continued

• Organelles, including mitochondria and chloroplasts,
allow single cells to perform a wide variety of functions.

• Complex cilia and flagella like those found in protists are

also found in many other types of cells.
Protists Section 1

What Are Protists?, continued

• Sexual reproduction allows for greater genetic diversity
than reproduction by binary fission does.

• Multicellularity allows cells to specialize, which in turn

allows for the development of tissues, organs, and organ
systems.
Protists Section 1
Visual Concept: Characteristics of
Protists
Protists Section 1
Visual Concept: Origin of Eukaryotic
Cells
Protists Section 1

Reproduction
• Asexual reproduction results in offspring that are
genetically identical to the parent.

• Sexual reproduction results in offspring that are

genetically different from either parent.

• Sexual reproduction involves the union of reproductive

cells, usually called gametes. Gametes are haploid cells
that join to form a diploid zygote.
Protists Section 1

Reproduction, continued
• Protists can reproduce asexually by binary fission,
budding, and fragmentation.

• Protists can also reproduce sexually by fusion of

gametes.
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Reproduction, continued
Asexual Reproduction
• Binary fission occurs when a unicellular organism
reproduces by splitting in half after replicating its DNA.

• The cells of a multicellular organism reproduce by

mitosis with cytokinesis, often simply called mitosis.

• Multicellular organisms do not undergo binary fission.

Protists Section 1

Reproduction, continued
Asexual Reproduction
• Budding is a form of asexual reproduction in which a part
of the parent organism pinches off and forms a new
organism.
• Budding can occur in unicellular and multicellular
organisms.
• Budding differs from binary fission in that the offspring is
smaller than the parent.
Protists Section 1

Reproduction, continued
Asexual Reproduction
• In fragmentation, part of a multicellular organism breaks
off and starts a new organism.
• Fragmentation differs from budding in that budding is an
action that is performed by the organism itself.
Fragmentation is the result of an action that is done to an
organism.
• For example, an accident can result in fragmentation, but
not budding.
Protists Section 1

Reproduction, continued
Sexual Reproduction
• In many protists, sexual reproduction occurs as a
response to environmental stress.
• In some protists, the zygote secretes a tough outer
coating and becomes a zygospore.
• Zygospores can survive freezing, drying, and UV
radiation.
Protists Section 1

Reproduction, continued
Sexual Reproduction
• In most unicellular protists a mature organism is haploid.
A haploid cell divides by binary fission to produce haploid
gametes.
• Two gametes fuse to form a diploid zygote and a
zygospore.
• When environmental conditions improve, meiosis occurs
within the zygospore. Haploid cells break out of the
zygospore and grow into mature cells.
Protists Section 1
Visual Concept: Sexual Reproduction in
Unicellular Protists
Protists Section 1

Reproduction, continued
Sexual Reproduction
• Many multicellular protists can reproduce both sexually
and asexually.
• This process, called alternation of generations,
consists of multicellular haploid and multicellular diploid
phases.
• The diploid, spore-producing phase is called the
sporophyte generation.
Protists Section 1

Reproduction, continued
Sexual Reproduction
• The adult sporophyte has sporangia, reproductive cells
that produce haploid spores by meiosis.
• The spores grow into multicellular haploid organisms.
The haploid, gamete-producing phase is called the
gametophyte generation.
• The mature gametophyte produces haploid gametes by
mitosis.
Protists Section 1

Reproduction, continued
Sexual Reproduction
• Two gametes fuse to form a diploid zygote.
• The zygote divides to form a multicellular diploid
organism.
• This step begins the first stage of a new sporophyte
generation.
Protists Section 1

Visual Concept: Reproduction in Ulva

Protists Section 1

Classifying Protists
• When living things are classified, relationships between
groups are inferred from specific shared characteristics.
• Some protists share characteristics of plants or animals,
while others are more like fungi.
• Understanding the relationships between protists and
developing a classification system that reflects these
relationships are ongoing challenges.
Protists Section 1

Classifying Protists, continued

• Scientists use Information from DNA, RNA, and protein
to infer relationships among protists and other kingdoms.
• The classification of protists is likely to change as
scientists learn more about protists are related to each
other and to members of other kingdoms.
Protists Section 1

Classifying Protists
• Molecular studies suggest that protists could be
classified into up to 20 kingdoms!
• The characteristics that protists share with plants,
animals, and fungi provide information about the
evolution of these organisms.
• A new classification system for protists is currently being
developed.
Protists Section 1

Summary
• Protists are eukaryotic organisms that cannot be
classified as fungi, plants, or animals.
• Protists can reproduce asexually by binary fission,
budding, and fragmentation. Protists can also reproduce
sexually by fusion of gametes.
• The classification of organisms currently grouped in the
kingdom Protista is likely to change as scientists learn
more about how these organisms are related to each
other and to members of other kingdoms.