Protists, Algae, and Slime Molds

Comprehensive vocabulary review of protist taxonomic groups, exemplar species, morphological structures, modes of motility, and commercial uses.

Oomycota

A group consisting of water molds, such as Saprolegnia.

Saprolegnia (sexual reproduction)

Sexual stage characterized by structures including oogonia and antheridia.

Saprolegnia (asexual reproduction)

Asexual stage characterized by structures including hyphae and zoosporangia (with zoospores).

Bacillariophyta (Diatoms)

Algae found in aquatic environments or moist soil; characterized by cell walls made of silica and carotenoid pigments.

Phaeophyta

Brown algae (examples: Fucus, Sargassum); characterized by cell walls made of algin, and containing chlorophyll a, chlorophyll c, and fucoxanthin.

Fucus and sargassum

Blade

1.

Float

2.

Stipe

3.

Holdfast

4.

Gymnamoeba

Naked amoebas; example organism is Amoeba proteus.

Amoeba proteus

An aquatic naked amoeba (Gymnamoeba) characterized by motility via pseudopodia, cytoplasmic streaming, a large nucleus, and food vacuoles.

Myxogastrida

Plasmodial slime molds; example organism is Physarum polycephalum.

Physarum polycephalum

A terrestrial plasmodial slime mold (Myxogastrida) that produces a plasmodial mass, moves by pseudopods, and uses cytoplasmic streaming to distribute nitrogen and oxygen.

Dictyostelida

Cellular slime molds; example organism is Dictyostelium discoideum.

Dictyostelium discoideum

A terrestrial cellular slime mold (Dictyostelida) whose amoeboid cells move and feed using pseudopodia, and aggregate to form a 'slug' for reproduction.

Chlorophyta

Green algae; examples include Ulva, Volvox, Spirogyra, Oedogonium, and Chlamydomonas.

Ulva

A marine green alga (Chlorophyta) containing chlorophyll a and b, xanthophylls, and carotene; features cell walls of cellulose and stores glucose as starch.

Volvox

A green alga (Chlorophyta) that moves via flagella; forms large motile colonies held together by a gelatinous matrix where the entire colony revolves.

Spirogyra

A non-motile, filamentous green alga (Chlorophyta) commonly known as pond scum.

Oedogonium

A filamentous green alga (Chlorophyta) that reproduces by creating egg cells; studied via prepared slide and live specimen.

Chlamydomonas

A very small green alga (Chlorophyta) exhibiting motility by flagella and containing a large chloroplast.

Three modes of motility

Flagella, cilia, and pseudopodia (pseudopods).

Industrial and commercial uses for algae

Toothpaste, filters, nori (wraps in sushi), fertilizer, and thickening agent in ice cream.