Introduction to Kingdom Protista Flashcards

Flashcards covering the key aspects of Kingdom Protista based on lecture notes.

Protista

Term first used by Ernest Haeckel in 1886.

Endosymbiotic Theory

Explains the origin of eukaryotic organisms; larger cells engulf smaller cells which eventually become organelles like mitochondria and chloroplasts.

Alga

A plant-like protist that is autotrophic.

Amoeba

An animal-like protist that is heterotrophic, uses pseudopods for movement and feeding.

Paramecium

An animal-like protist that is heterotrophic and has a micronucleus and macronucleus.

Kingdom Protista

A diverse group of eukaryotic organisms; nicknamed the "Junk Drawer Kingdom" because it has many phyla and is not highly organized.

Plant-Like Protists

Autotrophic protists; ancestors of plants.

Animal-Like Protists

Heterotrophic protists; ancestors of multicellular animals.

Fungus-Like Protists

Decomposer protists; ancestors of modern-day fungi.

Contractile Vacuole

Removes excess water from protist cells.

Flagella

A structure used for movement in some protists (e.g., Euglena).

Eyespot

Detects light in some protists (e.g., Euglena).

Chloroplast

Traps sunlight for photosynthesis in some protists (e.g., Euglena).

Pseudopod

A "false foot" used by some protists (e.g., Amoeba) to wrap around and ingest food particles.

Food Vacuole

Stores food in some protists (e.g., Amoeba, Paramecium).

Cilia

Used for movement in some protists (e.g., Paramecium).

Pellicle

A tough outer layer in some protists (e.g., Euglena, Paramecium).