 Most protists are unicellular organisms  Few are multicellular  All protists are eukaryotes  Eukaryotes have cellular organelles and prokaryotes (bacteria) do not.

 Most unicellular protists are microscopic.  The large multicellular protists are types of algae, organisms that are similar to plants via photosynthesis  However plant-like protists differ from plants because they lack plant features such as roots and stems

 Some protists are described as animal- like.  Do not make their own food and can move independently  Most are single celled  Lack certain specialized cells, such as muscle cells, tissues, and organs.

 Classified by the 3 ways they move 1. Cilia – tiny beating hair-like structures 2. Flagellum – whip like tail (back and forth motion) 3. Pseudopodia – projection of cytoplasm that sticks out like a foot (false foot)

 Unicelluar  Has characteristics of both plants and animals  Move freely and feed on other organisms  Makes its own food and also obtains nutrients by feeding as well.  Has an eyespot (to see)  When an eyespot detects light it uses flagellum to move toward the light so that its chloroplast can carry out photosynthesis

 Just visible to the naked eye  Unicellular  Moves by pseudopodia  Use pseudopods for feeding by surrounding it.  Aquatic – lives in ponds, ditches, or slowly moving streams.  Obtain nutrition by feeding on other animals

 Unicellular, slipper shaped  Aquatic - common in ponds and slow moving streams  Almost completely covered by cilia and uses that for movement  Feeds with the help of a structure called an oral groove – where food is drawn in by external and internal cilia to form a food vacuole.

 Unicellular protists that has chloroplasts that can carry out photosynthesis  Does not live alone  Forms groups called colonies  Two small flagella that are used to move them  Cells near the surface are specialized to move the entire colony through water  Example is algae