Diversity of Plants, Fungi, and Protists – Lecture Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts on plants, fungi, protists, and related ecological issues.

Biodiversity

The overall variety of life on Earth, including genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity.

Genetic Diversity

Variation of genes within a species, providing the raw material for adaptation.

Species Diversity

The number and relative abundance of different species in an area.

Structural Diversity

The range of physical shapes, sizes, and distribution of organisms within an ecosystem.

Binomial Nomenclature

Two-part scientific naming system (genus + species) developed by Linnaeus.

Habitat Loss

Destruction or alteration of the environment, making it unsuitable for native species.

Deforestation

Large-scale removal of forests, often for logging or agriculture, leading to biodiversity loss.

Climate Change

Long-term alteration of temperature and weather patterns, largely driven by human activities.

Kingdom Protista

A diverse group of mostly unicellular eukaryotes that are not plants, animals, or fungi.

Protist Characteristics

Eukaryotic, may be uni-, multi-, or colonial; autotrophic or heterotrophic; sexual or asexual reproduction.

Fungus-like Protists

Heterotrophic protists that absorb nutrients from decaying matter and form spores (e.g., slime molds).

Oomycota

Water molds, white rusts, and downy mildews; cellulose cell walls; major plant pathogens.

Slime Molds

Gelatinous fungus-like protists that aggregate to decompose organic matter.

Animal-like Protists

Formerly called protozoans; unicellular heterotrophs that move to find food.

Zooflagellates

Flagellated animal-like protists; some free-living, others parasitic.

Giardia lamblia

Zooflagellate parasite causing giardiasis (beaver fever) via contaminated water.

Ciliates

Protists that move with cilia; include Paramecium.

Paramecium

Freshwater ciliate shaped like the sole of a shoe; reproduces sexually or asexually.

Pellicle

Flexible, polysaccharide outer covering of ciliates that provides shape.

Macronucleus

Large nucleus in ciliates that controls everyday cell functions.

Micronucleus

Small nucleus in ciliates used in sexual reproduction.

Balantidium coli

Only ciliate known to cause human disease, leading to severe diarrhea.

Sporozoans

Non-motile, parasitic protists that form spores; e.g., Plasmodium.

Plasmodium falciparum

Sporozoan that causes the most severe form of malaria.

Malaria

Mosquito-borne disease caused by Plasmodium species infecting human blood.

Plant-like Protists

Autotrophic protists (algae) that perform photosynthesis and release oxygen.

Euglena

Unicellular, flagellated protist that is autotrophic in light and heterotrophic in darkness.

Dinoflagellates

Mostly autotrophic, plate-covered protists with two flagella; some bioluminescent.

Diatoms

Unicellular algae with silica cell walls; major producers in aquatic ecosystems.

Algae

Photosynthetic protists that can be uni- or multicellular; produce most of Earth’s oxygen.

Eutrophication

Nutrient enrichment of water bodies leading to algal blooms and oxygen depletion.

Kingdom Fungi

Eukaryotic heterotrophs with chitinous cell walls; absorb nutrients externally.

Hyphae

Thread-like fungal filaments that secrete enzymes and absorb nutrients.

Mycelium

Interwoven mass of hyphae forming the main fungal body, usually hidden in substrate.

Chitin

Tough polysaccharide in fungal cell walls and arthropod exoskeletons.

Saprobes

Organisms (often fungi) that obtain nutrients by decomposing dead organic matter.

Mycorrhizae

Mutualistic association between fungi and plant roots, enhancing nutrient uptake.

Lichens

Symbiotic union of fungi with algae or cyanobacteria; pioneer species in harsh habitats.

White-nose Syndrome

Fungal disease causing mass mortality in hibernating bats, disrupting insect control.

Phytophthora infestans

Oomycete responsible for the Irish potato famine in the mid-1800s.

Water Molds

Aquatic oomycetes that decompose dead algae and animals.

White Rust

Land-dwelling oomycete parasite of plants, closely related to water molds.

Downy Mildew

Oomycete plant pathogen that attacks leaves and stems, e.g., grapes.

Protist Ecological Roles

Primary producers, oxygenators, nutrient recyclers, and disease agents in ecosystems.

Fungal Ecological Roles

Decomposers, mutualists (mycorrhizae, lichens), pathogens, and sources of food & antibiotics.

Kingdom Plantae

Multicellular, cellulose-walled autotrophs with chlorophyll and alternation of generations.

Bryophytes

Small, non-vascular plants (mosses, liverworts, hornworts) dominated by gametophyte stage.

Tracheophytes

Vascular plants with xylem and phloem; sporophyte-dominant life cycle.

Xylem

Vascular tissue that transports water and minerals upward from roots.

Phloem

Vascular tissue that distributes sugars from leaves to the rest of the plant.

Gametophyte

Haploid plant generation that produces gametes.

Sporophyte

Diploid plant generation that produces spores.

Spore-producing Vascular Plants

Ferns, horsetails, and club mosses that reproduce via spores instead of seeds.

Sori

Clusters of spore cases on the underside of fern fronds.

Seed-producing Plants

Vascular plants that protect embryos within seeds; include gymnosperms and angiosperms.

Gymnosperms

Seed plants with naked seeds, mainly conifers.

Angiosperms

Flowering plants that enclose seeds within fruits; major human food source.

Pioneer Species

Organisms like lichens and mosses that colonize bare substrates and initiate soil formation.

Dinoflagellate Bioluminescence

Light emission by some dinoflagellates, causing glowing ocean waves.

Plant Ecological Roles

Primary producers supplying food, oxygen, and climate regulation for most life on Earth.