GROUP ACTIVITY FOR EXERCISE 3

Objective 2: Identify the characteristics of the major phylogenetic groups of protists

Table 1 Major phylogenetic groups, their representatives, and major characteristics

GROUP REPRESENTATIVE CHARACTERISTICS

Euglenozoans ​Euglena -​ unicellular simple flagellates

-may be photosynthetic or
heterotrophic

Alveolates ​Paramecium -​ ​unicellular microorganisms

with diverse characteristics in
subgroups
-unified by the presence of air
sacs called alveoli beneath
cell surfaces

Stramenopiles: Navicula -unicellular microorganisms

Bacillariophytes which has intricate skeletons
and various symmetrical body
organizations
-cell walls are called frustules
that are made up of pectin
and silica;
-reproductive cells are motile
and flagellated
-photosynthetic

Rhodophytes ​Galaxaura -unicellular to multicellular,

photosynthetic organisms
-red in color
-cell walls contain
polysaccharides agar and
carrageenan
-food material is floridean
starch

Chlorophytes Spirogyra,​ ​Volvox -unicellular, colonial, to

filamentous green-colored
organisms
-photosynthetic
 -motile with various methods
of motility

Mycetozoans: Physarum -unicellular, plasmodial slime

Myxomycetes molds
-has alternating generation in
sporic meiosis (can become
amoeba-like and flagellated
cells after spore germination)

Stramenopiles: ​Sargassum -microscopic filamentous to

Phaeophytes macroscopic seaweeds
-brown in color
-photosynthetic
-cell walls contain large
amounts of alginic acid
-food materials are
polysaccharide laminarin,
sugar alcohol mannitol, and
lipid droplets
-reproductive cells are
flagellated

Rhizopods Amoeba -​unicellular protist that use

cytoplasmic extensions called
pseudopods for motility and
food ingestion
Objective 3: Define terms used in identification and classification of major protistan taxa
Objective 4: Recognize representative taxa

Table 2.1 ​ The Euglenozoa: ​Euglena

General information

Feature we can derive from its name: True eyes (but not really)

Cell number: unicellular

Shape: Irregular, eggplant, cucumber

Habitat: Freshwater ponds

Relevant structures/process for: Specific Plant-like or

structure/process animal-like

motility flagella animal-like

 covering pellicle animal-like

sensory eyespot plant-like

organelles

for food production chloroplasts plant-like

for food storage Paramylon body plant-like

vestigial structure Cytostome, reservoir animal-like

Other terms/concepts
*Type of movement -metaboly animal-like
*Paramylon -carbohydrate plant-like
Checklist of structures in label: ​flagellum | cytostome/gullet | reservoir | eye-spot/stigma |
chloroplasts | paramylum bodies | pellicle

Table 2.2 ​The Alveolates: ​Paramecium

 General information

Feature we can derive from its name: Elongated

Cell number: unicellular

Shape: slipper-shaped

Habitat: freshwater

Relevant structures/process for: Specific Plant-like or

structure/process animal-like

motility cilia animal-like

feeding Cytostome, gullet animal-like

covering pellicle animal-like

genetic material Macronucleus, animal-like

micronucleus

osmoregulation Contractile vacuole animal-like

Other terms/concepts
*Type of movement -spiral Animal-like
*For slide 2: means of reproduction -transverse fission animal-like
(asexual),
conjugation (sexual)
Checklist of structures in label: ​cilia | macronucleus | micronucleus | Anterior end | Posterior
end | Pellicle | Oral groove | Cytostome | gullet/cytopharynx | food vacuoles | contractile
vacuoles & radiating canals
Table 2.3 The Stramenopiles: ​Navicula

General information

Feature we can derive from its name: “boat-shaped”

Cell number: Unicellular

Shape: Boat

Habitat: Freshwater or Saltwater

Relevant structures/process for: Specific Plant-like or

structure/process animal-like

motility Reproductive cells Animal-like

only (flagellated)
 feeding Photosynthetic Plant-like
(stored as ​oils ​ &
chrysolaminarin​)

covering Cell Wall Plant-like

(​Pectin & Silica)​

Frustules - two halves

of the cell wall
- Hypotheca - ​inner
- Epitheca - ​outer

genetic material Nucleus Plant-like and

Animal-like

Other terms/concepts

*Other structures Raphe - ​main line Plant-like

Striae - ​branching
from raphe
Polar Nodules - ​at
both ends of raphe

*Two views Girdle View - ​ side -

view
Valve View - ​top view

*Symmetry Bilateral - ​“winged” -

(Pennate Diatoms)

​*Life cycle (type of meiosis) Diplontic -

(​ Gametic Meiosis)
Checklist of structures in label: ​Nucleus | Cell Wall (Hypotheca & Epitheca) | Raphe | Striae |
Polar Nodules | Chloroplast
Table 2.4 ​The Phaeophytes: ​Sargassum

General Information

Feature we can derive from its name: - Sargasso ​– seaweed

- Phaeo – ​brown
- Phyta –​ algae

Cell Number: - Multicellular

- Filamentous under microscope

Color: Brown

Habitat: Salt water

 Relevant Structures/processes for: Specific Plant-like or
structure/process Animal-like

Motility Non-motile but floats ​Plant-like

along currents and
waves

Covering - Cellulosic layer ​Plant-like

- Mucilaginous
layer

Organelles

For food production Chloroplast ​Plant-like

For storage - Laminarin ​Plant-like

- Mannitol
- Lipid droplets

Other structures

For support - Stipe ​Plant-like

- Holdfast

For food production Blade ​Plant-like

For floatation Air bladder ​Plant-like

For reproduction Receptacle ​Plant-like

Sterile cavities bearing small Cryptostomata ​Plant-like

hairs

Other terms/concepts - Binary Fission ​Animal-like

*means of reproduction (Asexual)
*type of meiosis - Gametic/Diplon -
*type of life cycle tic cycle
(Sexual)
Table 2.5 ​The Rhodophytes: ​Galaxaura

General information

Feature we can derive from its name: Named after an oceanid creature in Greek
mythology; organism is found in oceans
especially in the benthic region
 Cell number: Multicellular

Shape: Dichotomous branching

Habitat: Saltwater

Color: Red, masking chlorophyll a and d, through

presence of biliprotein pigments,
r-phycoerythrin (red) and r-phycocyanin (blue)

Motility: Non-motile

Relevant structures/process for: Specific Plant-like or

structure/process animal-like

Feeding Photosynthetic Plant-like

(Floridean starch)

Covering Cell Wall Plant-like

(​Mucilagenous,
Cellulosic, Agar and
Carrageenan​)

genetic material Nucleus Plant-like and

Animal-like

Other terms/concepts

Life cycle (type of meiosis) Diplohaplontic -

(​ Zygotic Meiosis)

Type of frond branching Dichotomous Plant-like

Checklist of structures in label: ​Cell Membrane | Cell Wall | Mitochondrion | Nucleus |
Stellate Chloroplast | Floridean Starch | Vacuole
Table 2.6 ​The Chlorophytes: ​Volvox

General Information

Feature we can derive from its name “To roll”

Cell Number Unicellular, colonial

 Shape Spherical

Habitat Freshwater

Color Green

Motility Non-motile

Relevant structures/processes for: Specific Plant-like or

structure/process animal-like

Food production Chlorophyll - Plant-like

Photosynthetic

Covering Gelatinous matrix Animal-like

Motility Flagella Animal-like

Reproduction Sexual (ova and Animal-like

spermatozoa)
Asexual (gonidia)

Sensory eyespots Animal-like

Other terms/concepts
Coenobic - each colony of ​Volvox h ​ as -
definite number of daughter cells
Protoplasmic strand - connect each -
individual cell for the colony to act as
One
Checklist of structures in label:​ Flagella | Daughter cell | Gelatinous Matrix |Gonidia |
Protoplasmic Strands |
Table 2.7 ​The Chlorophytes: ​Spirogyra

General information

Feature we can derive from its name: Helical or spiral arrangement of chloroplasts

Cell number: Filamentous

Shape: Cylindrical shape

Habitat: Freshwater
 Relevant structure/process for: Specific Plant-like or
structure/process animal-like

Covering Cell Wall (Outer: Plant-like

Pectin; inner:
Cellulose)

Organelles

For food production Chloroplast and Plant-like

Pyrenoids

For food storage Vacuoles Plant-like

For the storage of DNA Nucleus Plant-like and

Animal-like

For cellular process Cytoplasm Plant-like and

Animal-like

Other Terms/concepts:
*Means of Reproduction Conjugation Tube -
and Zygospore

Checklist of structure in label: ​Filament | Zygospore | Conjugation Tube | Chloroplast | Cell wall |
pyrenoid | nucleus | cytoplasm
Table 2.8 The Mycetozoa:​ ​Physarum

General information

Feature we can derive from its name: Slimy (snail-like)

Cell number: unicellular

Shape: Fan-shaped (plasmodium) | mushroom-like

(fruiting body)

Habitat: damp, dark places

 Relevant structures/process for: Specific Plant-like or
structure/process animal-like

motility Plasmodium is motile animal-like

like amoeba

feeding phagotrophic animal-like

fruiting body sporangium plant-like

genetic material spores plant-like

reproduction Spores (sexual) plant-like

Fission (asexual) plant-like

Life cycle
Plasmodial form plasmodium plant-like
Sporulation sporangium plant-like
Amoeba and Flagellate activated spore animal-like
(swarm cell)

Other terms/concepts
Movement: ​amoeboid Animal-like
Survival: ​scloretia (hardening and drying) Animal-like
Sensory: ​chemotaxis animal-like
Checklist of structure in label: ​Plasmodium | Sporangium | Sporangiophore | Spore |

Swarm Cell
Table 2.9 ​The Rhizopods: ​Amoeba

General information

Feature we can derive from its name: Greek ​amoibē ​meaning it changes or alters
its form

Cell number: unicellular

Shape: Irregular; has many cytoplasmic extensions

Habitat: Freshwater, sea, soil, animals, etc.;

ubiquitous
 Relevant structures/process for: Specific Plant-like or
structure/process animal-like

motility Pseudopodia (false animal-like

feet)

feeding Pseudopodia animal-like

(cytoplasmic
extensions)

Other terms/concepts -​ clear ectoplasm ​animal-like

*Two layers of cytoplasm: (aids in motility and
food ingestion)
-granular endoplasm
(contains the
vacuoles, granules,
food vesicles, and
other organelles)

Mode of reproduction: -binary fission and animal-like

multiple fission (both
asexual only)

Checklist of structure in label: ​Pseudopodia | Endoplasm | Ectoplasm

 Objective 5: Explain why protists are the most diverse in terms of metabolism, structure
and life cycle

Table 3. Summary of similarities and differences among the different major groups

GROUP REPRESENT MOTILITY FEEDING MEANS OF Other info

ATIVE HABITS REPRODUCTI
ON

Stramenopiles: Navicula Vegetative cells Photosynthetic Shrinking Cell walls are

Baciliariophyte are nonmotile division/MacDon called frustules
s but reproductive ald-Pfitzer rule/ and are
cells are (asexual); composed of
flagellated oogamy in
the hypotheca
centric and
(inner covering)
isogamy in
pennate and epitheca
diatoms (sexual) (outer
covering) made
up of pectin
and silica

Alveolates Paramecium Spiral due to Phagotrophy ● Ciliates:Trans -possess air

specialized verse fission sacs called
structure called (asexual); alveoli beneath
cilia; Conjugation cell surfaces
dinoflagellates (sexual)
have flagella ● Apicomplexan
s: Multiple
fission
(asexual);
Sporogony
(sexual)
● Dinoflagellate
s: Binary
fission
(asexual);
Isogamy
(sexual)

Stramenopiles: Sargassum Vegetative cells Photosynthesi Fragmentation, -microscopic

Phaeophytes are nonmotile s zoospores and filamentous to
but reproductive aplanospores macroscopic
cells are (asexual); seaweeds
flagellated Isogamy,
-brown in color
anisogamy, and
 oogamy due to masking
(sexual) of chlorophyll
by xanthophyll
pigment--fucox
anthin
-photosynthetic
-cell walls
contain large
amounts of
alginic acid
-food materials
are
polysaccharide
laminarin,
sugar alcohol
mannitol, and
lipid droplets

Euglenozoans Euglena Metaboly and Photosynthesi Longitudinal -flagellated

has a flagellum s and some fission in organisms
heterotrophic euglenoids, -diverse in
parasites binary fission in modes of
kinetoplastids nutrition
(asexual); no
known sexual
mode of
reproduction

Rhodophytes Galaxaura Non-motile Photosynthesi Aplanospores -photosynthetic

s (asexual); red-colored
Oogamy (sexual algae which
are masked by
pigments
r-phycoerythrin
and
r-phycocyanin
-food material
is called
floridean starch
-cell walls
contain
polysaccharide
s agar and
carrageenan
Chlorophytes Spirogyra, Complex Photosynthesi Binary fission, -green-colored
Volvox methods of s fragmentation, photosynthetic
motility zoospores organisms
(asexual); -unicellular,
Isogamy, colonial, to
Anisogamy, filamentous
Oogamy forms
(sexual)

Mycetozoans: Physarum Plasmodium Phagotrophy Mitotic division -has alternating

Myxomycetes state: and sporulation generations in
protoplasmic (asexual); sporic meiosis
streaming Nuclear fusion
Swarm cell (sexual)
state: flagella

Rhizopoda Amoeba Amoeboid Phagotrophy Binary fission, Flexible

locomotion due multiple fission endoplasm
to pseudopods (asexual); no (granulated
membrane)
known sexual
which engulfs its
mode of food and
reproduction releases
digestive
enzymes.