Protists

Characteristics: eukaryotic mostly unicellular may be plant-like, animal-like, or fungus-like in mode of nutrition (how they get food)

A. Animal-like protists protozoans – “first animals” heterotrophic classified by locomotive structures (how they move) Examples: Amoeba, Paramecium, Plasmodium (causes malaria), Trypanosoma (causes African sleeping sickness)

B. Plant-like protists algae autotrophic by photosynthesis contain chlorophyll classified by cell wall components Examples: diatoms, dinoflagellates (cause red tide), kelp

C. Fungus-like protists Heterotrophic Decomposers Absorb food Examples: Physarum (plasmodial slime molds), Dictyostelium (cellular slime molds)

How do protists affect us? Beneficial decomposers major food source in aquatic food chains used as abrasives in toothpaste food source used in many foods

How do protists affect us? Harmful cause disease (malaria, African sleeping sickness) cause red tide kill crops