Protist and Fungi Adaptations Bio.2.1.2 Analyze the survival and reproductive success of organisms in terms of behavioral, structural, and reproductive adaptations.

Protists Protists are unicellular or simple multicellular eukaryotic organisms that are not plants, fungi, or animals. Protists are classified by the characteristics that make them fungus-like, plant-like, or animal- like.

Protist Structural Adaptations - Nutrition Many protists are autotrophs, organisms that make their own food. Other protists are heterotrophs, organisms that must get their food by eating other organisms or their byproducts.

Protist Structural Adaptations - Motility Protists use flagella, cilia, or pseudopodia for locomotion. Flagella are long whip like cell extensions. Cilia are short, hairlike, cytoplasmic projections that line the cell membrane. Pseudopodia are large, rounded, cytoplasmic extensions used for movement and feeding.

Protist Behavioral Adaptations Taxis – movement towards or away from a stimulus Phototaxis – moving towards or away from light Chemotaxis – moving towards a chemical, such as food, or away from a chemical, such as a poison

Protist Reproductive Adaptations Protists reproduce either asexually, sexually, or both. They reproduce asexually by binary fission or multiple fission. The advantage of asexual reproduction is they don’t need a mate. The disadvantage is you don’t get variety in the offspring. They often reproduce sexually by conjugation.

Protists that impact humans Red tides produce harmful toxins that kill organisms living in the surrounding water. Algal blooms reduce the oxygen content of water, killing the organisms in the area. We eat seaweed and use it to make agar (and jelly). Protists cause malaria (kills 3 million annually), giardiasis (backpackers diarrhea), and cryptosporidiosis (more diarrhea).

Fungi Fungi are eukaryotic, nonphotosynthetic organisms that can be unicellular or multicellular in form.

Fungi Structural Adaptations - Nutrition Fungi are among the most important decomposers of organic matter. Fungi obtain nutrients by secreting enzymes and absorbing simple organic molecules from their environment. This makes them saprotrophs.

Fungi Structural Adaptations Fungi are made up of short filaments called hyphae. Mats of hyphae are called mycelium. Fungal cell walls contain chitin rather than cellulose, which is found in plant cell walls.

Fungi Reproductive Adaptations Most fungi reproduce both asexually and sexually. Asexual Reproduction Asexually, fungi produce thousands of genetically identical haploid spores. When these spores are placed in favorable environmental conditions, they germinate and grow new hyphae, each of which can form a mycelium and produce thousands of new asexual spores.

Fungi Reproductive Adaptations Sexual Reproduction Fungi occur in mating types that are sometimes called minus and plus. When two different mating types of the same species encounter one another, the hyphae of one mating type fuse with the hyphae of the opposite mating type. These fused hyphae give rise to a specialized structure, which produces and scatters genetically diverse spores.

Fungi and Plants Mycorrhizae are symbiotic structures that form between plant roots and a fungus. The fungus provides certain ions and other nutrients to the plant and, in turn, the fungus gets sugars from the plant. Lichens represent symbiotic relationships between fungi and photosynthetic organisms, such as cyanobacteria or green algae.

Fungi and Humans Common fungal infections include ringworm, athlete’s foot, and yeast infection. Fungi are used in the production of cortisone, penicillin and other antibiotics, and some genetically engineered drugs. Fungi are used in the production of familiar foods such as cheeses, bread, beer, wines, and soy products. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuKjBIBBA L8