Eukaryotes and Protists

These flashcards cover important vocabulary related to eukaryotes and protists as discussed in the lecture.

Excavata

A supergroup of mostly unicellular organisms, many with feeding grooves; includes some parasites.

SAR

A diverse supergroup including Stramenopiles, Alveolates, and Rhizaria, containing organisms like algae, protozoa, and plankton.

Archaeplastida

A supergroup that includes plants and algae that perform photosynthesis.

Stramenopiles

A clade of photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic protists, including algae.

Alveolates

Protists characterized by having sacs (alveoli) under their plasma membrane.

Rhizaria

A clade of protists that have thin pseudopodia.

Unikonta

A group that includes amoebas, slime molds, and animals.

Producers

Organisms, such as certain protists and algae, that perform photosynthesis and produce oxygen.

Decomposers

Organisms that break down dead matter and recycle nutrients in ecological communities.

Endosymbiosis

A symbiotic relationship in which one organism lives inside another, leading to the evolution of eukaryotic organelles like mitochondria and chloroplasts.

Secondary endosymbiosis

The process where a eukaryotic cell with a chloroplast is ingested by another eukaryote, resulting in increased protist diversity.

Asexual reproduction

A reproductive process involving one parent and lacking genetic variation, exemplified by binary fission and budding.

Sexual reproduction

A reproductive process involving two parents, resulting in genetic variation, including methods like conjugation and alternation of generations.

Plasmodium

A parasitic protist that causes malaria.

Giardia

A parasitic protist that causes giardiasis, characterized by diarrhea.

Trypanosoma

A parasitic protist that causes African sleeping sickness.

Toxoplasma gondii

A parasitic protist that causes toxoplasmosis.

Entamoeba histolytica

A parasitic protist that causes amoebic dysentery.