Eukaryote Taxa To Traits

Microsporidia/Chytridiomycota

Includes fungal parasites/opportunistic pathogens of humans; amphibian pathogens

Apicomplexans

Obligate animal parasites that contain chloroplasts that don’t photosynthesize

Brown algae/Golden algae

Can be single-celled or large, multicellular organisms like seaweed; colored by carotenoids

Green algae

Generally freshwater photosynthesizers closely related to plants

Diplomonads

Contain two nuclei and functionally reduced mitochondria; includes Giardia

Zygomycota/Mucoromycota

Fungi involved in food spoilage and can be found in soil and decomposing plant matter

Slime molds

Heterotrophic protists that have complex life cycles and make fruiting bodies and spores

Basidiomycota

May exist as mushrooms, yeasts, and pathogens of plants; can reproduce sexually

Dinoflagellates

Photosynthetic protists with two flagella; can cause red tides and fish kills

Foraminiferans

Heterotrophic protists that form tests made of calcium carbonate

Euglenids

Aquatic photosynthesizers that may contain five genomes (four from endosymbionts)

Oomycetes

Formerly classified as fungi, this group of protists is also known as the water molds

Ascomycota

Contain yeasts such as Saccharomyces and molds; can be symbionts in lichens

Diatoms

Most species rich group of protists; cell walls contain silica; photosynthesizers

Parabasalids

Anaerobic heterotrophic protists with hydrogenosomes and large genomes

Radiolarians

Marine heterotrophic protists that form silica tests and may form symbioses with algae

Chlorarachniophytes

Motile photosynthetic protists that can switch to heterotrophy in the dark; nonpathogenic

Red algae

Generally marine photosynthesizers with red pigmentation and small genomes

Kinetoplastids

Bacterial predators with one mitochondrion; can be human pathogens like Trypanosoma

Ciliates

Heterotrophic protists, including Paramecium, which eat or form symbioses with bacteria

Entamoebas/Gymnamoebas

Contain the true amoebas; some are free-living while others are pathogenic

Glomeromycota

Live obligately in plant roots as endomycorrhizae and probably helped plants colonize land

Haptophytes

Major unicellular photosynthesizers in the ocean; have calcium carbonate shells