Chapter 27: Protists

These flashcards cover essential terminology and concepts from the lecture on Protists, designed to help students review and prepare for their exam.

Domain Eukarya

A domain characterized by organisms with a nuclear envelope.

Synapomorphy

A defining trait shared by a group of organisms.

Asexual Reproduction

Reproduction involving only mitosis, resulting in genetically identical offspring.

Meiosis

A type of cell division that produces gametes with half the number of chromosomes.

Protists

Eukaryotic organisms that are not classified as plants, animals, or fungi.

Diversity

The variety of forms, structures, and behaviors within protists.

Moist Habitats

Essential environments where protists are found due to their water dependency.

Downy Mildew

A protist that caused the Irish potato famine in 1845.

Plasmodium

The protist genus responsible for malaria, transmitted by mosquitoes.

Definitive Host

The host in which a parasite reproduces sexually.

Intermediate Host

The host in which a parasite reproduces asexually.

Red Tides

Rapid population growth of dinoflagellates leading to harmful algal blooms.

Photosynthetic Protists

Organisms that capture light energy to produce organic compounds.

Carbon Fixation

The conversion of inorganic carbon (CO₂) into organic material.

Phytoplankton

Photosynthetic microscopic organisms drifting in aquatic environments.

Zooplankton

Animal-like drifting microscopic organisms in aquatic environments.

Ecosystem

A biological community interacting with its physical environment.

Endosymbiosis Theory

The theory explaining the origin of mitochondria and chloroplasts in eukaryotic cells.

Ultrastructure

The detailed structure of a cell observable through electron microscopy.

Coenocytic Mycelium

A type of fungal body made up of a mass of hyphae without septa.

Ingestive Feeding

A feeding method where organisms take in larger food particles.

Absorptive Feeding

A feeding method where nutrients are absorbed directly from the environment.

Photosynthesis

The process by which organisms convert light energy into chemical energy.

Amoeboid Movement

Movement achieved through extensions of cytoplasm known as pseudopodia.

Flagella

Long, whip-like structures used for movement in some protists.

Cilia

Short, hair-like structures that facilitate movement and feeding in protists.

Haploid-dominant Life Cycle

A life cycle where the haploid stage is the main form of existence.

Diploid-dominant Life Cycle

A life cycle where the diploid stage predominates in the organism's life.

Alternation of Generations

A reproductive cycle that alternates between haploid and diploid stages.

Chloroplasts

Organelles responsible for photosynthesis in eukaryotic cells.

Diatoms

Unicellular algae known for their silica cell walls and importance in aquatic ecosystems.

Red Algae

Photosynthetic organisms that often grow at great depths in the ocean.

Brown Algae

Multicellular organisms that include kelp and are crucial marine producers.

DinoFlagellates

Protists with a cell wall of cellulose plates, some of which cause red tides.

Foraminifera

Unicellular marine protozoans known for their calcium carbonate shells.

Amoebas

Unicellular eukaryotes characterized by pseudopodia for movement and feeding.

Ciliata

A phylum of protists that have cilia and include Paramecium.

Emerging Diseases

Newly identified infectious diseases, such as malaria caused by Plasmodium.

Parasitic Protists

Protists that live on or in a host organism and can cause harm.

Euglenids

A group of protists that move using flagella and have a flexible pellicle.

Zooxanthellae

Symbiotic algae found in corals that transfer energy through photosynthesis.

Coenocyte

A cell with multiple nuclei not separated by cell walls.