Protista

Protists are grouped to together in

a kingdom because they lack the

characteristics that would let them

fit into any other kingdom.

Animal Like Protists:

Protozoans

• They are animal-like because

they are heterotrophs and they

can move.

• They are grouped into 4 Groups

based on how they move:

1-Sarcodinians - amoeba

2-Zooflagellates – trichonympha

3-Ciliophorans – paramecium

4-Sporozoans - plasmodium

Sarcodinians – Amoeba

move by extending lobes of

cytoplasm called pseudopods

Zooflagellates – trichonymphalive in the intestines of termites. Break down the cellulose in wood. Use

flagella for movement. Cause the disease known as Africian Sleeping

Sickness

Ciliophorans – paramecium

use cilia and live mostly in fresh water

Sporozoans – plasmodium

Sporozoites : spore forming potozoa that are parasitic . Shown here

in a human blood smear cause malaria. Protozoans are very important

because they are the third largest living organism in the oceans.

Sporozoans such as plasmodium

case diseases such as malaria.

• The sporozoites from the mosquito salivary gland are injected into

the human as the mosquito must inject anticoagulant saliva to ensure

an even flowing meal.

• Once in the human bloodstream, the sporozoites arrive in the liver

and penetrate cells, where they remain for 9-16 days, multiplying within

the cells.

• On release, they return to the blood and penetrate red blood cells in

which they produce gametocytes, which have no further activity within

the human host.

• Another mosquito arriving to feed on the blood may suck up these

gametocytes into its gut. The resulting ookinete penetrates the wall of

a cell in the midgut, where it develops into an oocyst. Many spores are

produced within the oocyst and when the oocyst ruptures, the

sporozoites migrate to the salivary gland, for injection into another

host.

Plant Like Protists

• Called algae

• Perform photosynthesis

• Autotrophic

• Contain chlorophyll, and provide oxygen

• Have no true roots, stems, leaves

• Can be unicellular – diatoms, euglenoids

• Can be multicellular – green, red, brown algae

• They are important because they provide energy

through photosynthesis for heterotrophs.

Classified into two Groups:

• Unicellular and Multicellular

• Multicellular used to be classified as plants

because they contain chloroplasts and

perform photosynthesis. Classified as

Protists because they contain different

reproductive structures.

• Algae are important because they produce

most of our oxygen in the Earth’s

atmosphere.

Unicellular – diatoms

Unicellular – Euglenoids

Multicellular

green algae

Multicellular – red algae

Red algae

Multicellular – brown algae

Fungus Like Protists• They are decomposers known as mold.

• Heterotrophic

• Plasmodial slime molds – single cell with

many nuclei that can form spore-

producing fruiting bodies.

• Cellular slime mold – single cells that

come together to form fruiting bodies and

produce spores

• Water mold – include fresh water and land

protists that act as decomposers and

parasites

Plasmodial slime molds - life cycle

Plasmodial stage of slime molds

Sporangia stage of slime molds

Cellular slime mold - life cycle

Cellular slime mold

Water mold – life cycle

Water mold - zoosporangium

Water mold – on dead fruit fly

Water mold – on dead larvae