kingdom protista

kingdom protista characteristics

• eukaryotic

• mostly unicellular, some colonial

• diverse taxonomy — animal-like, plant-like, fungus-like

• described by locomotion, nutrition, level of organization

phycoerythrin

red accessory pigment that allows red algae to photosynthesize in deep water

phycocyanin

blue accessory pigment found in cyanobacteria + certain algae

fucoxanthin

brown/yellow pigment that gives brown algae + diatoms their color

diatomaceous earth

crush fossilized remains of silica-rich diatom shells used in filtration + insect control

red tides

harmful algal blooms caused by rapid population explosions of toxic dinoflagellates

fruiting bodies

spore-producing reproductive structures formed by organisms like slime molds + fungi

aggregation

the coming together of individual single-celled organisms to form a group or mass

multinucleated

containing multiple nuclei within a single cell or continuous mass of cytoplasm

merozoites

the stage of a parasite that emerges from liver/blood cells to infect more blood cells

apicoplast

a non-photosynthetic plastid organelle essential for parasite survival in apicomplexans

sporozoites

the infectious, mobile life stage of spore-forming parasites such as plasmodium

macronucleus

the large nucleus in ciliates that controls everyday cell operations + metabolism

micronuclei

the small nuclei in ciliates used exclusively for genetic exchange during reproduction

axopodia

rigid needle-like pseudopodia supported by internal protein rods

cytosome

the specialized cell mouth used by certain protists to ingest food

tests

hard outer shells or skeletons that cover certain protists

endosymbiosis

a relationship where one organism lives inside the cell of another to their mutual benefit

phagocytosis

intracellular vesicle formed + food particles taken it

photosynthesis

produces its own energy using sunlight

photosynthesis equation

6CO₂ + 6H₂O + sunlight → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂

cilia

short hair-like structures that beat together to move a cell or sweep food

pseudopodia

“false feet”, used to crawl or trap food

flagella

long, whip-like tails used for swimming

degrees of organization

unicellular, filamentous, multinucleated, colonial, multicellular

animal-like protists characteristics

• unicellular without a cell wall

• live in habitats with water available

• heterotrophic

• some parasitic

examples of animal-like protists

sarcodina, ciliaphora, zooflagellates, sporozoa

what phylum(s) are flagellated

phylum kinetoplastida

phylum kinetoplastida characteristics

• flagella for movement

• symbiotics or pathogenic

• food engulfed via vacuoles or absorbed through cell membrane

• kinetoplast

kinetoplast

organelle containing dna, not in nucleus

examples of phylum kinetoplastida

Trypansoma brucei, Trichonympha collaris

Trypansoma brucei

causes african sleeping sickness

Trichonympha collaris

lives in the guts of termites helping with nutrient absorption

what phylums(s) are amoeboid - sarcodina

phylum rhizopoda, phylum actinopoda, phylum foraminifera

phylum rhizopoda

• naked amoeba - no shell/tests

• pseudopodia for movement + feeding

phylum actinopoda

• silicious shells/tests

• axopods (modified psuedopods) for movement, buoyancy + feeding

phylum foraminifera

• calcareous shells/tests improve buoyancy

• make up limestone deposits

• planktonic

what phylum(s) are ciliated

phylum ciliophora

phylum ciliophora characteristics

• posses cilia for movement + foraging

• contain cytostome (mouth) + trichocyst

• have 2 types of nuclei: macronucleus, micronuclei

trichocyst

threat-like structure discharged from under the surface for defense, anchorage, + capture prey

macronucleus

synthesizes dna + rna — asexual reproduction

micronuclei

synthesizes dna only — sexual reproduction through conjugation

example of phylum ciliophora

Paramecium caudatum

what phylum(s) are sporozoans

phylum apicomplexa

phylum apicomplexa characteristics

• lack mobility

• parasitic

• contain apicoplast

apicoplast

organelle that synthesizes fatty acids

example of phylum apicomplexa

• Plasmodium vivax

• transmitted by mosquitoes + infests red blood cells + liver cells causing malaria

what phylum(s) are fungus-like protists

phylum myxogastrida, phylum oomycota, phylum dictyostelida/acrasiomycota

phylum myxogastrida characteristics

• plasmodial slime molds

• multinucleated vegetative phase (no cells walls when feeding occurs)

• ex: Physarum

phylum oomycota characteristics

• water molds, white rust, + downy mildews

• 2 flagella

• decomposers + parasites

• freshwater

phylum acrasiomycota characteristics

• cellular slime molds

• unicellular during vegetative stage + form an aggregation when there is no food

example of plant-like protists

algae

algae characteristics

• photosynthetic autotrophs

• found in marine or freshwater environments

• microscopic unicellular, colonial, or large multicellular species

• can grow attached to rocks or have a free form floating in water (some may possess flagella)

• cells contain chloroplasts with different chlorophyll types + cell wall

• reproduce sexually + asexually

what phylum(s) are unicellular algae

phylum euglenophyta, phylum dinoflagellata, phylum bacillariophyta

phylum euglenophyta

• chlorophyll a + b in chloroplasts

• mixotrophic

• free living - flagellum

• contain eyespot + paramylon

eyespot

helps direct organisms towards light to maximize photosynthetic activity

paramylon

storage molecule found in euglenoids

phylum dinoflagellata

• chlorophyll a + c in chloroplasts

• free-living, symbiotic or parasitic (flagellated)

• internal cellulose plates for protection

• cause red tides

phylum bacillariophyta is also known as

diatoms

phylum bacillariophyta characteristics

• chlorophyll a + c found in chloroplasts

• silica shells with two halves + pores for gas exchange

• two shapes: pennate, centric

diatoms

forms diatomaceous earth (diatom fossils)

pennate

bilaterally symmetrical (elongated) diatoms

centric

radically symmetrical (round) diatoms

what phylum(s) are multicellular algae

phylum phaeophyta

phylum phaeophyta characteristics

• consists of seaweeds, kelp (the largest seaweeds)

• marine

• chloroplasts contain chlorophyll a + c

• brown colored algae

what color algae is phylum phaeophyta

brown

structure in phylum phaeophyta

thallus, hold fast, stipe, blades

thallus

seaweed body that lacks true roots, stems, or leaves

holdfast

anchors alga to a rock or sea floor surfaces

stipe

stem-like structure that supports an alga’s photosynthetic blades

blades

leaf-like structures of seaweeds that absorb light for photosynthesis

what color algae is phylum rhodophyta

red

phylum rhodophyta characteristics

• mostly marine, at greater depths than brown algae

• attached to rocks by holdfast

• phycocyanin + phycoerythrin allow them to absorb the deeper-penetrating wavelengths of light for photosynthesis

• chlorophyll a + d

examples of phylum rhodophyta

Callithamnion, Corallina, Agardhiella

Corallina characteristics

cell walls are encrusted with calcium deposits

Agardhiella characteristics

produces agar used in cell cultures

what color algae is phylum chlorophyta

green

phylum chlorophyta characteristics

• unicellular, multicellular, or colonial

• freshwater or marine habitats

• chlorophylls a + b

• cellulose cell walls

• starch as the nutrient storage form

• flagella on motile cells

• ancestral to higher plants

examples of phylum chlorophyta

Hydrodictyon, Ulva (sea lettuce)

Hydrodictyon characteristics

multinucleated green algae that forms net-like colonies

examples of green algae

Chlamydomonas, Volvox, Spirogyra

Chlamydomonas characteristics

• stores starch in pyrenoid

• eyespot detects light

• two flagella

Volvox characteristics

large colonial alga composed of several Chlamydomonas-like cells

Spirogyra characteristics

• filamentous colonial alga

• spiral-shaped chloroplast

asexual reproduction in algae

• mitotic division in unicellular forms

• fragmentation + cell division on colonial forms

• asexual sporulative reproduction

asexual sporulative reproduction

formation of mitospores in colonial + multicellular species

sexual reproduction in algae

zygotic, sporic, gametic (paired with alternation of generations)

which sexual reproductive method is most common

zygotic

zygotic reproduction steps

1. haploid (n) adult alga produces gametes (n) by mitotic division

2. gametes unite forming a diploid (2n) zygote

3. meitotic division

4. meiospores (n)

5. germination to form new haploid gametophytes

sporic reproduction steps

1. gametophytes produce gametes

2. sperm + eggs unites to form zygote

3. grow into diploid (2n) sporophyte

4. meiospore production

5. germination

6. gametophyte

what does sporic reproduction need

presence of two adults, gametophyte (gamete-producing) + sporophyte (spore-producing)

alternation of generations

• gametophyte + sporophyte generations alternate in the life cycle

• very similar to plants

• dominant generation = larger + longer-lived

algae use in clean up

used to clean wastewater at many municipal water treatment plants

algae use in biofuels

can be blended with gasoline to make biofuel, which can be converted into biodiesel + biojet fuels

algae use in science

agar, a gelatinous substance derived from red algae used as a medium to grow bacteria + fungi

algae use in cosmetics

used as a thickener in skin treatments, anti-aging creams, detoxifying masks, + cleaners

algae use in food

carrageenan from red algae is used in ice cream, toothpaste, + chocolate milk

algin

gelatinous compound extracted from brown algae cell walls used as a thickening agent