PROTISTS

Howdy, I’m Francis the Protist and I’m going to teach

you about my whole family in the Protista Kingdom!

First off; Protists are considered EUKARYOTES because; We

have a nucleus!

Most of us Protists are unicellular organisms, and can be

photoautotrouphs, heterotrophs, or even mixotrouphs.
(That just means we can use different sources of energy.)
Most of us protists live in aquatic environments because we love to be
moist!
And some of us can reproduce sexually and others can asexually
reproduce

A neat fact about us protists is that some of us are more closely related
to plants, fungi, or even animals then to one another in our kingdom.

I’m Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek,

And I was the first to lay eyes on these magnificent
beings!
For such small creatures they are really fascinating!!
 I want to talk to you now about Eukaryotic evolution!

ENDOSYMBIOSIS is the process in which one of us

unicellular protists, engulfs another cell, which will end
up ultimately becoming organelles in the host cell.

Some scientists believe that early eukaryotes acquired their

mitochondria by engulfing proteobacteria through Endosymbiosis,
which would end up becoming their mitochondria organelle

SECONDARY ENDOSYMBIOSIS is when a heterotrophic eukaryotic cell

engulfs a photosynthetic cell, which then survives inside the
heterotrophic cell.
Like Red and Green Algea!
 This diagram helps show you how SECONDARY
ENDOSYMBIOSIS occurred in the red and green algea
a heterotrophic
eukaryotic cell engulfs a
photosynthetic cell, in
this case the
photosynthetic cells are
red and green algae
 This is my family tree and all of my cousins ill be telling
you about
A CLADE is a fancy word for FAMILY, which are shown in
yellow at the top
There are 11 CLADES in my family tree

10
1 2 3 4 5 8
7 9 11
6
 First there are 2 families
DIPLOMONADS and PARABASALIDS!
They are both the only child in their families, as you can tell
form the diagram

DIPLOMONADS – ‘the sneaky ones’

-They have 2 equal sized NUCLEI (more then 1)
-and multiple flagella which are extensions of their cytoplasm
-Giardia Intestinalis is a diplomonad, parasite that comes from
drinking dirty water. It hides in a mammals intestines and
causes severe diarrhea (quite sneaky)

PARABASALIDS – ‘the Hyper ones’

-They have modified mitochondria
-A flagella
-and a FLUCTUATING WAVE part of their plasma membrane which
helps them move easier.

Multiple flagella
Fluctuating wave
membrane
 Next, the third family is the Euglenozoans clade/family

Euglenozoans have 1 main difference and its their spiral crystalline

rod of unknown function inside their flagella
KINETOPLASTIDS and EUGLENIDS are from this family
KINETOPLASTIDS
-Have their DNA in their mitochondria
-Trypanosoma is an example which causes sleeping sickness in
humans
EUGLENIDS – ‘the store owners’
-Store ‘Paramylon’ (a glucose polymer)
-Can switch from autotrophy to heterotrophy if sunlight is unavailable
-have 1 or 2 flagella which emerge from a pocket at one end of the cell

agella
&fl
ket
Poc
 The 4th family is next….DUH
They are ALVEOLATES
They appear to have sacs (alveoli) under their membrane
Scientists are not sure but they think the sacs help stabilize the cell
surface and help with water and ion concentrations
DINOFLAGELLATES – the ballerinas
They are Aquatic photoautotrophs and hetertrouphs
Have 2 flagella in perpendicular groves that causes them to SPIN
They can cause ‘Red Tides’ when there is a population explosion by
releasing toxins that can kill fish and invertebrates
Some can even glow in the dark!
APICOMPLEXANS – the ninjas
They contain complex organelles specialized for penetrating through
host cells and tissues
Plasmodium is an example that causes malaria
CILIATES
-They use celia to move and feed
- Contain 2 types of nuclei: large macronuclei and small micronuclei
- Because of this they reproduce asexually by binary fission
s
c a use
hat
g e lla t in
Fla to s
p
th em

at
Plasmodium cell th ds of cilia
kills human liver Thousan
 The 5th family is the STRAMENOPILES

STRAMENOPILES contain both hairy and smooth flagella

OOMYCETES - the decomposers

Include water moulds, white rusts, and downy mildews
Have filaments (hyphae) that help with nutrient uptake
DIATOMS
They are surrounded by a two part wall
The wall allows them to withstand pressure of up to 1.4 million kg/m2
GOLDAN ALGEA
They have 2 Flagella attached to one end of the cell
Yellow and brown carotenoids give them their golden colour
They can also undergo alternation of generations
BROWN ALGEA
These are the largest and most complex algae
They are all multicellular, most marine
 For those of you who don’t know,
ALTERNATION OF GENERATIONS is a life cycle where both a
multicellular DIPLOID and a multicellular HAPLOID forms.

The multicellular DIPLOID would be the SPOROPHYTE.

d
and the multicellular HAPLOID would be the GAMETOPHYTES.

i
plo
ha
ed lar
r m lu
fo el
is ultic
m
multice
llul
is forme ar diploid
d
 The 6th & 7th families are the Cercozoans and Radiolarians

These guys are like Amoebas that is, they feed by means of
PSEUDOPODIA
PSEUDOPODIA- is when extensions bulge out from anywhere on
the cells surface to engulf its food or other organisms.

Formaniferans a.k.a. Forams contain porous shells called ‘tests’

which are multi-chambered and aid in feeding and swimming

Radiolarians have pseudopods/ fused tests,

RADIATING from their central body

Cercozoan Radiolarian

Pseudopods
also help us
move!!!
 Amoebozoans have lobe shaped pseudopodia
GYMNAMOEBAS
These guys are unicellular amoebas and live in soil, freshwater or
marine environments
Most are heterotrophic
ENTAMOEBAS – (The mean ones)
These ones are the parasites vertebrates and some are
invertebrates
Histolytica is an example which causes intestine inflammation
which can be deadly
PLASMODIAL SLIME MOLDS
Contains multiple nuclei
Function in sexual reproduction
CELLULAR SLIME MOLDS
Form by ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION

GYMNAMOEBA ENTAMOEBA
 RED & GREEN ALGEA are next
RHODOPHYTA a.k.a. RED ALGAE
Contain colour pigments ranging from green to black
Most are multicellular
Seaweeds are the most abundant large algae
CHLOROPHYTA a.k.a. GREEN ALGAE
Contain plant like chloroplasts
Very closely related to land plants
Goes through sexual and asexual reproductive stages
 Sexual Reproduction
Using meiosis
2 haploid cells to fuse together to form a ZYGOTE
2 different life cycles: Diploid Cycle & Haploid Cycle

Mature cells develop into gametes

Fusion of gametes
forms a diploid
zygote Haploid Cycle
(Adult is HAPLOID)
Mature cell grows

Zygote (2n)

Diploid Cycle
(Adult is DIPLOID)
Meiosis produces 4
haploid cells that burst
from zygote
 Asexual reproduction
Using mitosis
Undergoes multiple rounds of mitosis to form haploid cells
The new daughter cells emerge from original cell
When reproducing asexually, the mature cell reabsorbs its flagella before mitosis

These cells grow into

mature haploid cells

Daughter cells
develop flagella &
cell walls

Binary Fission Asexual reproduction

Flagella is absorbed
& undergoes multiple
rounds of mitosis
 Protista Family Review Chart
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW!
Major Clade Key Characteristics Examples from chapter
DIPLOMONADS 2 equal-sized nuclei; modified mitochondria Giardia

PARABASALIDS Fluctuating wave membrane; modified mitochondria Trichomonas

d e

EUGLENOZOANS Spiral or crystalline rod inside flagella

bold

Kinetoplastids DNA inside mitochondria Trypanosoma

ol d
not

Euglenids Stores Paramylon Euglena

in b
are

ALVEOLATES Alveoli beneath plasma membrane

are

Dinoflagellates Armor of cellulose plates & spins Ceratium, Pfiesteria

ps

Apicomplexans Complex organelles Plasmodium

des

rou

Cilicomplexans Cilia used for moving and feeding Macro- & Paramecium, Stentor
g
Cla

micronuclei
Sub

STRAMENOPILES Hairy and smooth flagella

Oomycetes Hyphae that absorbs nutrients Water molds, white rusts

Diatoms Glassy, 2-part wall

Golden Algae Flagella attached near one end of cell Dinobryon

Brown Algae Alternation of generations between multicellular diploid Laminaria, Macrocystis
and haploid
 Protista Family Review Chart Continued

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW!

Major Clade Key Characteristics Examples from chapter
CERCOZOANS & Amoebas with threadlike pseudopodia
RADIOLARIAN
ed

S
Forams Porous shell Globigerina
old

Radiolarians Pseudopodia radiating from central body

ot b
old

AMOEBOZOANS Amoebas with lobe shaped pseudopodia

re n
in b

Gymnamoebas Soil dwelling, freshwater or marine Amoeba

ps a
are

Entamoebas Parasites Entamoeba

Plasmodial Slim Molds Multinucleated plasmodium; fruiting bodies that Physarum
des
grou

function in sexual reproduction

Cla

Cellular Slim molds Multiclelular aggregate that forms asexual fruiting Distyostelium
Sub

bodies
RHODOPHYTA (red Phycoerythrin (accessory pigment) no flagellated stages Bonnemaisonia, Palmaria
algae)
CHLOROPHYTA Plant type chloroplasts Volvax, Coulerpa, Spirogyra
(green algae)

Hopefully you’ve learned a lot!!!

THE END