KINGDOM PROTISTA

Chapter 21
 Kingdom Characteristics
• Eukaryotic
• Mostly unicellular—many multicellular
• Autotrophic, Heterotrophic, and both
• Cell wall may or may not be present
 Evolutionary Importance
• Protists are considered to be the
ancestors of the three multicellular
kingdoms—fungi, plant, animal
 Major Divisions of Protists
Plant-like Protists (Algae)

Animal-like Protists (Protozoans)

Fungus-like Protists (Slime Molds)

 Plant-like Protists—Algae
• Autotrophic
• Contain cell walls
• Some are mobile—many are
immobile
Kelp

Volvox
 Green, Red, and Brown
Algae
• Cellular Organization:
– Multicellular (Red and Brown)
• Green algae can be either
• Nutrition:
– Photosynthetic (Autotrophic)
• Locomotion: Non-motile
• Habitat:
– Red Algae: Marine Green Algae: Fresh, Marine, Soil
Brown Algae: Marine
• Classified by their pigment
• Green, Red, or Brown (kelp) Algae
– Used in many foods such as pudding, jelly, jelly beans,
ice cream, marshmallows, salad dressing
 Dinoflagellates
• Cellular Organization:
– Unicellular
• Nutrition:
– Autotrophic
• Locomotion: 2 Flagella
• Habitat:
– Fresh and Marine
• Cause Red Tides
 Diatoms
• Cellular Organization:
– Unicellular
• Nutrition:
– Autotrophic
• Locomotion: Non-motile
• Habitat:
– Fresh and Marine
• Shells made out of silica (glass-like)
 Euglenoids
• Cellular Organization:
– Unicellular
• Nutrition:
– Heterotrophic/Autotrophic
• Locomotion: 1 or 2 Flagella
• Habitat:
– Aquatic
• Ex: Euglena
 Animal-like Protists--
Protozoans
• Heterotrophic
• All are unicellular
• None contain cell walls
• Most can move
– Cilia- hair-like projections
– Flagella- whip-like tail
– Pseudopod- “false foot”
• Immobile ones are parasites
 Amoeba
• No cell wall gives them flexibility
• Cellular Organization:
– Unicellular
• Nutrition:
– Heterotrophic
• Locomotion: Pseudopods
• Habitat:
– Fresh and salt water
• Some may cause disease (they are
parasites)
 Foraminiferans (“Forams”)
• Cellular Organization:
– Unicellular
• Nutrition:
– Heterotrophic
• Locomotion: Pseudopods
• Habitat:
– Salt water
• Calcium Carbonate Shells
Kinetoplastids (Flagellate)

• Cellular Organization:
– Unicellular
• Nutrition:
– Heterotrophic
• Locomotion: flagella
• Habitat: free living and parasitic
• Ex: Trypanosomes causes African
Sleeping Sickness
 Ciliates
• Cellular Organization:
– Unicellular
• Nutrition:
– Heterotrophic
• Locomotion: cilia
• Habitat: fresh water and marine
• Ex: Paramecium, Vorticella and stentor
 Sporozoans
• Cellular Organization:
– Unicellular
• Nutrition:
– Heterotrophic
• Locomotion: Non-motile
• Habitat: parasitic
• Ex:
– Plasmodium-Malaria
 Fungus-like Protists—
Slime Molds
• Heterotrophic decomposers
• Contain cell walls
• Multicellular
• Exist in different forms and produce
spores
• Reproduce by forming spores
• 3 types: water molds, downy mildews, and
slime molds
 Slime Molds
• Cellular Organization:
– Multicellular
• Nutrition:
– Heterotrophic
• Locomotion: amoeboid movement
• Habitat: cool, moist, shady places
 Water/Downy Molds
• Cellular Organization:
– Multicellular
• Nutrition:
– Heterotrophic (either parasites or feed
on dead organic matter)
• Locomotion: amoeboid movement
• Habitat: cool, moist, shady places
• Cause of the Irish potato famine in
1845-1850 that killed 1 million people
 Ecological Importance of
Protists
• Autotrophic protists are primary
component of PHYTOPLANKTON
• These organisms carry out 70 – 80% of
the world’s photosynthesis
• Phytoplankton and ZOOPLANKTON
(heterotrophic protists) are the base of
most of the world’s food chains
 Negative Contributions of
Protists
• Many cause disease
– Malaria, sleeping sickness, amebic
dysentery, etc.
• Responsible for “Red Tide” that
poisons shell fish
• Algae blooms result in fish kills
 Concept Map

• Create a Concept Map of Kingdom

Protista that includes the following
information:
– Type of protist (animal, plant, or fungus-
like)
– Cellular Organization
– Mode of Nutrition
– Mode of Movement
– Examples of each type of protist