The weird, Wacky, wonderful world of… Kingdom Protista! Animal-like Protists Plant-like Protists Fungus-like Protists

What is a protist?? A eukaryote that is NOT a member of… Kingdom Animalia Kingdom Plantae Kingdom Fungi …because it does not meet the requirements for these Kingdoms.

Protist Diversity Approximately 200,000 species They come in different shapes, sizes, and colors! All are eukaryotes – they have a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles

Protozoans: Animal-like Protists

Protozoans What does “zoa” mean? Unicellular – made up of one cell. (How is this different from animals?) Heterotrophs – they eat other organisms or dead organic matter Classified by how they move

Sarcodines (Amoebas) Zooflagellates Ciliates Sporozoans Phyla of Protozoans Sarcodines (Amoebas) Zooflagellates Ciliates Sporozoans

Sarcodines (Amoebas) No cell wall Move using pseudopods – plasma extensions (what does the word mean??) Engulf bits of food by flowing around and over them

Zooflagellates Use a whip-like extension called a flagella to move around quickly Some cause diseases

Trichomonas foetus : cow disease

Trichomonas vaginalis: an STD

African Sleeping Sickness (Trypanosoma)

Ciliates Move through water by beating tiny hairs called cilia. Ciliates (like a paramecium) are found in fresh and salt water. Not parasitic! Contractile vacuole pumps water out of cell

Paramecium caudatum

Sporazoans: the parasiteS Non-motile - Do not move on their own. Live inside a host One type called Plasmodium causes the disease malaria.

The mosquito is the host for the sporozoan The mosquito is the host for the sporozoan. When the mosquito bites a person, they can get malaria.

Malaria in red blood cells

Algae Plant-like Protists

What are Algae? Can be Unicellular or Multicellular Photosynthetic – make their own food No roots, stems, or leaves Each has chlorophyll and other photosynthetic pigments

Euglenaphytes Diatoms Dinoflagellates Red, Brown, & Green Algae Phyla of Algae Euglenaphytes Diatoms Dinoflagellates Red, Brown, & Green Algae

Euglenaphyta Unicellular Aquatic Move around like animals with two flagella No cell wall (unlike plants!) Can ingest food from surroundings when light is not available (So, they are autotrophs OR heterotrophs!)

Diatoms Unicellular & photosynthetic Abundant and beautiful – like little jewels! Cell walls have patterns and lines Their cell walls are made of silicon (Si) Photosynthetic pigment called carotenoids – give them a golden color

Dinoflagellates: The Spinning Ones Unicellular protists Spin around using two flagella Some are photosynthetic and some are heterotrophic Some are bioluminescent! Some kinds are responsible for red tides – toxic “blooms” of dinoflagellates that can be dangerous.

Red tides caused by toxic dinoflagellates Red tides caused by toxic dinoflagellates. This red tide killed some fish.

Some dinoflagellates create their own light Some dinoflagellates create their own light. This is called bioluminescence. These pictures were taken in Puerto Rico in a place called “Bioluminescent Bay”.

Red Algae Reddish seaweeds Live in ocean Multicellular Have red and blue pigments, so they are autotrophs

Brown Algae Multicellular brown seaweed They have air bladders to help them float at the surface (where the light is located!). Examples: Giant Kelp (where sea otters hide), Sargassum

Green Algae Lives in fresh and saltwater Unicellular and multicellular Live alone or in groups called colonies Very similar to plants - perhaps the ancestors of plants!

Multicellular Unicellular & Colonial

Fungus-like Protists

Characteristics in Common All form delicate, net-like structures on the surface of their food source Obtain energy by decomposing organic material (heterotrophs)

Phyla of Fungus-like Protists Plasmodium Slime Molds Cellular Slime Molds Water Molds & Downy Mildews

Slime Molds Live in cool moist, shady places where they grow on damp, organic matter Very gross, colorful, and super cool

PlasmodiAL Slime Molds Form plasmodium: a mass of cytoplasm that contains many diploid nuclei but no cell walls or membranes – its feeding stage Creeps by amoeboid movement – 2.5 cm/hour

PlasmodiAL Slime Molds continued… May reach more than a meter (!!!) in diameter Form reproductive structures when surroundings dry up Spores are dispersed by the wind and grow into new plasmodium

6-Vomit Slime Mold (why would someone name it this?!)

Dog Vomit Slime Mold

Often, slime molds grow on mulch because it is so high in organic nutrients.

Cellular Slime Molds In feeding mode, they exist as individual amoebic cells When food becomes scarce, they come together with thousands of their own kind to reproduce May look like a plasmodium

Beautiful and colorful slime molds!! 

Water Molds & Downy Mildews Live in water or moist places Feed on dead organisms or live as plant parasites Fuzzy white growths

Water mold growing on a dead mayfly larvae

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