Invertebrate Zoology Protozoa/Protists

Kingdom Protista

Unicellular, specialized organelles (no organs), protoplasm, nucleus + ribosomes, locometry structures, flagellated: 9+2 fibril structure

Phylum Euglenozoa

Free-living flagellated protozoan. Many are photosynthetic, have chloroplasts, eyespot (light sensitive pigment), common in freshwater

Phylum Dinoflagellata

Free-living protozoa, Flagella in grooves, naked or with theca (plate covering). Marine. Most synthetic, some heterotrophic, some switch between.

Phylum kinetoplastida

Parasitic protozoa, 1-2 flagella, undulating membrane, kinetoplast (DNA mass) within one mitochondria.

Trypanosoma

Kinetoplastida. African sleeping sickness. Carried by TseTse fly.

Phylum Retortamonada

Parasitic protozoan. Only 4-8 flagella, 1 trails behind the rest (retro), no mitochondria

Giardia

Retortamonada, spread through fecal contamination in water

Phylum Axostylata

Parasitic Protozoan, 4-thousands of flagella, bundle of tubules (axostyles) extends length of body

Trichomonas

Axostylata, sexually transmitted in mammals

Amoeboids

protozoans, glide on psuedopodia, phagocytosis, naked or with skeleton, reproduce by fission. Nucleus, vacuoles.

Slime mold

social ameba, largest protozoan

entamoeba histolytica

amebic dysentery, causes diarrhea, can form resistant cyst

Phylum Granuloreticulosa “Foraminferan”

Protozoan with many pores, naked or with skeleton made of calcium carbonate, shell shape based on temp, 2 body forms, elongate reticulopodia, predatory

Phylum Radiolaria

Skeleton of silicon dioxide, catch prey with axopods (psuedopodia), marine, found atop sediment.

Phaeodarea

Look like radiolaria but are not

Apicomplexa (Sporozoa)

subphylum aveolata (have alveoli, calcium storing vesicles below cell membrane), Parasitic, apical complex, produce spore-like structure

Plasmodium

Malaria, Apicomplex (sporozoa), life cycle has 2 hosts (humans and anopheles mosquito)

Phylum (subphylum) Ciliophore: ciliates

Rows of cilia with infracilliary network, metachronal beat, glide, T-shaped trichocysts (defense, capture prey), pellicle (outer covering), some have hard “shell” Lorica, 2 nuclei (micro and macro)

Didinium

Ciliate, feeds on other ciliates

Stentor

Ciliate, uses cilia to create whirlpool to capture prey

Paramecium

Ciliate, follows acids and eats decomposing matter

Vorticella

Ciliate, contractile stalks, form colonies by asexual reproduction

ciliate sexual reproduction

macronucleus involved in RNA and DNA synthesis, a+ and a- adhere, macronuclei degenerate, 2 meiotic divisions of micronuclei, all but one micronuclei degenerate, remaining micronucleus divides → stationary and wandering nuclei, bridge forms between cells, exchange wandering nuclei, Nuclei fuse and form skyaryon (2N), conjugates separate, additional nuclear divisions → 4 daughter cells formed (not truly sexual, no eggs or sperm)

Ceratium

Dinoflagellate common along texas coast (name means horns)

Noctiulca

bioluminescent Dinoflagellate

Karenia

Dinoflagellate that causes “red tide” toxic/poisonous to fish, can infect oysters and be deadly to people