Origin of Eukaryotes & Plant Evolution

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to the origin of eukaryotes, protists, and plant evolution.

Eukaryotes

Organisms whose cells have a nucleus enclosed within membranes.

Nuclear Envelope

The membrane that surrounds the nucleus in eukaryotic cells.

Mitochondria

Organelles in eukaryotic cells responsible for producing ATP through cellular respiration.

Chloroplasts

Organelles in plant cells and some protists that conduct photosynthesis.

Protists

Eukaryotes that are not land plants, fungi, or animals, often considered a paraphyletic group.

Paraphyletic

A group of organisms that includes a common ancestor but not all its descendants.

Endosymbiosis

A symbiotic relationship in which one organism lives inside another; key to the origin of mitochondria and chloroplasts.

Primary Endosymbiosis

The initial engulfment of a cyanobacterium by a protist, leading to the origin of chloroplasts in plants and algae.

Secondary Endosymbiosis

The process where a protist engulfs another eukaryote that already has chloroplasts.

Amoeboid Motion

A type of movement in protists, characterized by the extension of pseudopodia.

Phagocytosis

The process by which a cell engulfs solid particles, typically used by protists for feeding.

Autotrophs

Organisms that produce their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that obtain food by consuming other organisms.

Ingestive Feeding

A method of feeding in which organisms consume live or dead matter.

Absorptive Feeding

A feeding strategy where nutrients are absorbed directly from the environment.

Diatoms

A group of algae characterized by their silica cell walls.

Dinoflagellates

A type of protist known for its two flagella and often contributes to harmful algal blooms.

Foraminiferans

Single-celled protists with shells made of calcium carbonate.

Chlorophyll

A green pigment found in chloroplasts that is crucial for photosynthesis.

Cilia

Short, hair-like structures that protrude from the surface of some protists and aid in movement.

Flagella

Long, whip-like structures used by some protists for movement.

Photosynthesis

The process by which green plants and some protists convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into sugars.

Protist Lineages

Different evolutionary branches among protists, which can vary in their modes of nutrition and reproduction.

Chloroplast Genome

The circular DNA contained within chloroplasts, similar to bacterial DNA.

Cell Wall

A rigid outer layer that provides structural support to cells, present in plants, fungi, and some protists.

Cellular Respiration

The process by which cells convert sugars into ATP, using oxygen in many eukaryotes.

Multicellular Organism

An organism composed of multiple cells that work together.

Unicellular Organism

An organism that consists of a single cell.

Symbiosis

A close ecological relationship between two or more species.

Cellulose

A complex carbohydrate that forms the structural component of plant cell walls.

Eukaryotic Evolution

The process by which ancestral unicellular organisms gave rise to multicellular eukaryotes.

Aquatic Habitats

Water-based environments where many protists thrive.

Amoebas

A type of protist that moves and feeds through the use of pseudopodia.

Malaria

A disease caused by Plasmodium protists, transmitted by mosquitoes.

Giardiasis

An intestinal infection caused by the Giardia protist.

Phytoplankton

Photosynthetic protists that drift in aquatic environments and form the base of aquatic food webs.

Zooplankton

Microorganisms that drift in water and primarily feed on phytoplankton.

Plant Evolution

The process by which land plants evolved from green algae.

Mutualism

A type of symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit.

Nutrient Cycling

The circulation of nutrients through ecosystems, facilitated by organisms including protists.