Table of Contents Protists Algal Blooms Fungi

Kingdom Protista -Protists—simple one-celled or many-celled organisms that live in moist, wet environments. 1. Their cells are eukaryotic. 2. They can be animal-like, plant-like or fungus-like.

Animal-like Protists -Animal-like protists —also known as protozoans. *All are complex, one-celled organisms. *Many species are found living in water, soil, or within living or dead organisms. *All are heterotrophs and can not make food. *Classified into four groups based on how they move.

Animal-like Protists: Amoeba Amoebas are sarcodines that live in either water or soil. They feed on bacteria and other protists. They move using a false foot known as a pseudopod. They change shape as they move.

- Protists Animal-Like Protists

Animal-like Protists: Paramecium 2. Paramecia are ciliates that live mostly in fresh water. They feed on bacteria and smaller protists. They move using hair-like structures known as cilia.

- Protists Animal-Like Protists

Amoeba and Paramecium Activity - Protists Amoeba and Paramecium Activity Click the Active Art button to open a browser window and access Active Art of an amoeba and a paramecium.

Animal-like Protists 3. Flagellates--Animal-like protists that move by using one or many tail-like structures known as flagella. *Some live inside other organisms. Example: flagellates live inside termites and help them digest wood; termites provide protection for the flagellate. This is an example of mutualism.

Symbiosis and Mutualism Note: Symbiosis —when two organisms live together Mutualism—a special type of symbiosis where both organisms benefit

Animal-like Protists 4. Sporozoans--Animal-like protists that live as parasites. *Most feed on blood of human or animal hosts. *Malaria is caused by a sporozoan transmitted through the bite of the Anopheles Mosquito. Anopheles mosquito

Click the Video button to watch a movie about algae. - Protists Algae Click the Video button to watch a movie about algae.

Plant-like Protists -Plant-like protists —also known as algae. *They can be one-celled, many-celled or live in colonies. *They all contain chlorophyll and are autotrophs (can make food). *Most species are a part of the plankton in lakes and oceans. *Six different groups:

Plant-like Protists: Euglena Euglena--a common euglenoid that lives in fresh water. In sunlight, many can make their own food. Without sunlight, they can eat food. (So they can be plant-like or animal-like in some ways.)

- Protists Plantlike Protists

Plant-like Protists 2. Diatoms--plant-like unicellular protists found in lakes and oceans. *Most have golden-brown pigments that hide their green chlorophyll. *Covered by shells that contain silica. *Used to make road paint,insulation, filters, and toothpaste. *Come in many shapes and patterns. *Form diatomaceous earth when they die.

Plant-like Protists 3. Dinoflagellates--plant-like protist with red pigments. *Also known as “fire algae”. *All are one-celled. *All have two flagella and spin as they move. *Found in salt-water *Can cause “Red Tides”

contain chlorophyll and are very diverse. Plant-like Protists 4. Green Algae--plant-like protists that contain chlorophyll and are very diverse. *Can be one-celled, many-celled or live in colonies. *Found in fresh water, salt water or on land.

Plant-like Protists 5. Red Algae -- plant-like protist that lives in the deep ocean. *All are many-celled. *All are red in color. *Used to make toothpaste and pudding creamy, to make agar and hair conditioner, or eaten fresh, dried or toasted.

6. Brown Algae --giant kelps are examples. - Protists Plantlike Protists 6. Brown Algae --giant kelps are examples. *They live in shallow ocean waters. *All are many-celled and grow very tall—100m. *Used to make ice cream and marshmallows.

Algal Blooms Algal Bloom —rapid growth of a population of algae in either saltwater or freshwater. 1. Saltwater blooms—also known as Red Tides. An increase in nutrients or water temperature causes the algae population to increase. Toxins produced by the algae build up in fish and shellfish. Organisms that eat these fish (including us) can become sick or die.

Algal Blooms 2. Freshwater blooms —Nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus, build up in lakes or ponds and cause algae to increase producing a green scum on the surface water. This is known as eutrophication. Sunlight can’t reach plants below so they die; bacteria decompose them and use up all the oxygen so fish die. All that lives is algae on the surface.

Causes of Eutrophication -Human activities can cause eutrophication: *Fertilizer run-off into lakes and streams. *Sewage run-off into lakes and streams.

Fungus-like Protists -Fungus-like protists —also known as slime molds and water molds. They have features of both protists and fungi. Water Mold Slime mold

End of Section: Protists

Comparing and Contrasting - Algal Blooms Comparing and Contrasting As you read, compare and contrast the two types of algal blooms in a table like the one below. Algal Blooms Properties Saltwater Blooms Freshwater Blooms Causes Increase in nutrients or temperature Nutrients build up, causing a rapid increase in algae growth. Effects Toxins concentrated in fish and shellfish that eat algae can cause illness to people and other large organisms when they consume the fish or shellfish. Fish and other organisms in the water die.

Click the SciLinks button for links on algae. - Algal Blooms Links on Algae Click the SciLinks button for links on algae.

End of Section: Algal Blooms

- Fungi What Are Fungi? -Most fungi are many celled eukaryotes that can not make food and can not move around. *They get food by decomposing dead organic matter (saprophytes) *Some get food from living hosts (parasites) *They use spores to reproduce. *The cells of most fungi are arranged in a structure called hyphae.

- Fungi What Are Fungi? -Absorb food through hyphae that grow into the food source. 2. Often, hyphae grow underground and may join to form above ground structures like mushroom caps. 1. Hyphae are thread- like tubes of cytoplasm that contain many nuclei. Substances move quickly and freely through the hyphae. It is the largest part of the fungus.

Fungi reproduce both asexually and sexually. Reproduction in Fungi Fungi reproduce both asexually and sexually. *Reproduce asexually by forming spores or by budding. 1. Spores are microscopic 2. Produced inside fruiting bodies. 3. Appearance of fruiting bodies varies. 4. Budding occurs mostly in yeast cells. *Reproduce sexually when hyphae of two different fungi grow together and exchange genetic material.

Classification of Fungi -Three major groups: *Club Fungi —mushrooms, bracket fungi, rusts and puffballs. They produce spores in club-shaped structures. Most poisonous fungi are in this group. *Sac Fungi —yeasts, morels and truffles. They produce spores in sac-shaped structures. *Zygote Fungi —fruit and bread molds. They produce spores in round spore cases.

Role of Fungi in Nature -Fungi play many roles in nature: *Decomposers and recyclers—break down dead plant and animal matter and return nutrients to soil.

*Food providers 1. Yeast used to make bread and wine 2. Some molds used to make cheese 3. Some mushrooms are edible (some are very poisonous)

*Fight disease —penicillin is made from the fungus, Penicillium, discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928. Many other antibiotics are also made from fungi.

diseases like Dutch elm disease. Athlete’s foot and ringworm are *Cause disease —fungi cause plant diseases like Dutch elm disease. Athlete’s foot and ringworm are also caused by a fungus. *Fungus-Plant Root Association helps plants grow better. Hyphae absorb water and nutrients for plant, plant makes more food for fungus. *Lichens—fungus and algae or (bacteria) growing together. Algae makes food for fungus; fungus improves living conditions for algae. Known as a “pioneer species”.

- Fungi Fungi and Trees A biologist conducted an experiment to see how root-associated fungi affect the growth of four different tree species. Each species was divided into two groups–trees grown with root-associated fungi and trees grown without the fungi.

Fungi and Trees - Fungi Reading Graphs: How did the biologist measure tree growth? By measuring average height in meters

Fungi and Trees - Fungi Interpreting Data: For each species, which group of trees showed more growth? Those grown with root-associated fungi.

Fungi and Trees - Fungi Calculating: What is the average height difference between sour orange trees that grew with root-associated fungi and those that grew without fungi? About 5 meters

Fungi and Trees - Fungi Calculating: What is the height difference between avocado trees that grew with and without the fungi? About 1.5 meters

Fungi and Trees - Fungi Drawing Conclusions: Based on this experiment, how do root-associated fungi affect tree growth? Root-associated fungi improve or enhance tree growth.

Asking Questions - Fungi Before you read, preview the red headings. In a graphic organizer like the one below, ask a what or how question for each heading. As you read, write the answers to your questions. Question Answer What are fungi? Fungi are eukaryotes that have cell walls, are heterotrophs that feed by absorbing their food, and use spores to reproduce. How do fungi reproduce? Fungi reproduce by making spores. What is the role of fungi in nature? Fungi are important decomposers and recyclers.

Click the Video button to watch a movie about fungi.

Click the SciLinks button for links on fungi.

End of Section: Fungi

Graphic Organizer Excess nutrients flow into a lake. Algal growth increases. Layer of algae prevents sunlight from reaching plants and other algae beneath. These plants and algae die. Decomposers increase in number and use up oxygen in the water. Fish and other organisms in the water die.

End of Section: Graphic Organizer