Lecture Notes on Protists

These flashcards cover the key vocabulary and concepts related to protists, their biology, classification, and ecological importance.

Protists

The simplest eukaryotes; a paraphyletic group that includes eukaryotes that are not plants, fungi, or animals.

Endosymbiosis

A process in which a host cell engulfs another cell, leading to a symbiotic relationship, often resulting in the formation of organelles such as mitochondria and chloroplasts.

Photoautotrophs

Organisms that produce their own food through photosynthesis, primarily represented by algae.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that obtain organic food molecules by eating other organisms; includes protozoans and molds.

Amoeboid

Protozoans that move and feed using pseudopodia, such as Amoeba proteus.

Conjugation

A form of sexual reproduction in protists where two organisms exchange haploid nuclei.

Cysts

Dormant cells in protists that help them survive unfavorable environmental conditions.

Mixotrophs

Organisms that combine autotrophic and heterotrophic methods of obtaining food.

Agar

A gelatinous substance derived from red algae, used in food preparation and culture media.

Diatoms

Single-celled stramenopiles known for their ornate silica shells and significant contribution to plankton.

Chloroplast

An organelle found in plants and some protists, responsible for photosynthesis; can arise from primary or secondary endosymbiosis.

Giardia lamblia

A protozoan parasite that causes severe diarrhea, transmitted through contaminated water.

Apicomplexans

Non-motile, spore-forming parasites of animals; includes Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria.

Zygote

The fertilized egg resulting from the fusion of gametes during sexual reproduction in protists.

Oomycetes

Fungus-like water molds that feed on decaying organic matter and can cause plant diseases.

Plasmodial slime molds

Slime molds with a body form called plasmodium, characterized by multinucleated cells and mobility.

Radiolarians

Single-celled protists with intricate silica tests used as indicators of oil deposits and geological dating.

Choanoflagellates

A group of protists closely related to animals, characterized by their collar cells that filter feed.

Stramenopiles

A supergroup that includes organisms with two flagella, often photosynthetic, like diatoms and brown algae.

Red Algae

Multicellular seaweeds containing red and blue pigments, important in warmer seawater ecosystems.

Ciliates

A diverse group of protozoans characterized by their cilia used for movement and feeding.