Introduction

Protistans are eukaryotes. They have a nucleus, large ribosomes, mitochondria,

endoplasmic reticulum, and golgi bodies. Many species have chloroplasts. Some protists
divide by way of mitosis, meiosis, or both. The majority of protistians are single-celled,
but nearly every lineage also has multicelled forms. Protists are important for the use of
food. Saprobes resemble some bacteria and fungi, and some predators and parasites
resembles animals. Some are heterotrophs and some are autotrophs. Chytrids, water
molds, slime molds, protozans, and sporozans are heterotrophs.

Evolution of the Protista Kingdom

Early life on Earth
Evolved from bacteria
Represent intermediate step in evolution of Three Kingdoms
1. Fungi
2. Plantae
3. Animal

Knowing the Protista

Diverse species, ranging from single cells to giant kelps, that are photoautotrophs,
heterotrophs, or both
Protists can be heterotrophic or autotrophic
Heterotrophic cannot make their own food
Autotrophic can survive by making their own food
Protists are mostly unicellular (except for multicellular algae)
Other protists are all unicellular heterotrophic eukaryotes (except for Fungi)
Prokaryotic vs. Eukaryotic
First evolved cells were the prokaryotic
Prokaryotic cells do not have a nucleus

Eukaryotic cells do have a true nuclei

Eukaryotic cells were first protistans
Eukaryotic cells have membrane-enclosed organelles
Eukaryotic cells have flagella and cilia
Three Types of Protists
The Protist Kingdom is known as the "catch all" Kingdom; they are the organisms that
dont really fit in with any other Kingdom. Since there are such a wide variety of protists
they are arranged into three groups. The three groups are arranged depending on
whether they have animal-like characteristics, fungus-like characteristics, or plant-like
characteristics. Therefore the three groups of protists are: Animal-like protists, Funguslike protists, and Plant-like protists.
Animal-like Protists
Animal-like protists are called protozoans ("first animals") because it is thought
that they are the evolutionary history of animals. They share many common traits with
animals. All of the animal-like protists are heterotrophs; they are unable to make their
own food. But unlike animals, they are unicellular. Since they cant make their own food
they must be able to move through their environment and catch their food.
The animal-like protists are divided into four groups based upon their means of
mobility and manners for catching their food. They are divided into: protists with
pseudopods, protists with cilia, protists with flagella, and parasitic protists.
Protists with Pseudopods

A pseudopod is a "false foot" that slowly moves the protist.

These protists move towards their food or prey by extending their cytoplasm into a "false
foot". The "false foot" extends from the cytoplasm, attaches to the ground, and pulls the
rest of the body toward the food. The pseudopods are not only for the means of
locomotion; they also capture the food. They capture the food by wrapping the "false
foot" around the prey and bringing it into their bodies. One example of an animal-like
protist with pseudopods is the Amoeba (see picture above).

Amoeba

Amoebas are single celled animal-like

protists that live in moist soil, freshwater, and salt water. There are different types of
Amoeba but they all use pseudopods as means of locomotion and capturing food. Most
of the Amoebas are free-living and eat things like other protozoans and bacteria; few
Amoebas are parasitic and live on or in other organisms, where they obtain nutrients.
An example of an Amoeba is Entamueba histolytica. This Amoeba is the cause of
amoebic dysentery, which is a deadly infectious disease found mostly in tropical areas
and usually in areas where sanitation is poor. This disease is the leading cause of death
for infants and toddlers; their immune systems are not yet developed, therefore they
cannot destroy the disease.
Below is the life cycle of Entamoeba hisolytica.

Protists with Cilia

Cilia are tiny hair-like structures that surround some protists. The
cilia beat back and forth. This movement enables the animal-like protist to move through
its aquatic environment. The cilia also help the organism capture food. When the cilia
beat, the prey (food) is moved into its body.

Cilia are composed of ten pairs of microtubules. The microtubules are arranged in
what is known as the 9+2 configuration. Of the ten pairs of microtubules nine pairs form
a circle. Inside the circle lies the tenth pair; this is how it got the name 9+2 configuration.
One example of an animal-like protist with cilia is the Paramecium.

Paramecium

Paramecium is one known ciliated protist. The cilia help the

Paramecium push the food and water into the cell body. The food then becomes
enclosed in a vesicle filled with enzymes. In this vesicle the enzymes help the organism
to digest the food.
The cilia can also helps the protist move towards the food/prey by beating the
organism through the aquatic environment. The cilia can become leg-like structures
under the Paramecium allowing it to "run."
Protists with Flagella

Flagella are long whip-like structures that move back and forth
allowing the animal-like protist to move. Protists with flagella beat the long whip-like
structure to move through their aquatic environments. These organisms can be freeliving; some are parasitic, living in moist tissues of plants and animals. Sometimes the
parasitic protists help their host, but others are harmful.
Flagella, like cilia, are composed of microtubules. They are arranged in a 9+2
configuration. Nine of the pairs of microtubules form a circle around the tenth pair.
One example of an animal-like protist with flagella is Giardia lamblia.
Giardia lamblia
Giardia lamblia is an animal-like protist that uses flagella as its means of locomotion
and food capturing. It is an internal parasite the causes diarrhea. Giardia lamblia

contaminates waters of aquatic lands and river banks. When animals and humans drink
the water, the protist becomes parasitic to the host. It leaves the host through the feces.
After it has left the host it then contaminates everything that comes into contact with the
feces. Many humans get this disease by drinking infected waters or eating infected
meats.
Below is the life cycle of Giardia Lamblia.

Parasitic Protists
The parasitic protists are animal-like protists that live in or on another organism,
obtaining all its nutrients from that host organism. Many of these protists are disease
causing. These protists go in and out of the active stage and the dormant stage. When
conditions are good for them they are active; when conditions are bad they become
dormant. One example of this parasitic animal-like protist is Plasmodium, which causes
malaria.
Plasmodium
Plasmodium is a parasitic animal-like protist. It is the cause of malaria. Plasmodium is
transported through mosquitoes. While in the mosquito the Plasmodium is in a dormant
stage. When it is transported into the human it becomes active. It is mostly found in the
red blood cells of humans. The Plasmodium asexually reproduces inside the liver and
then enters the red blood cells. The red blood cells are destroyed in massive amounts.
Merozoites are produced in some of the red blood cells. These merozoites develop into
the male and female gametophytes. The infected gametophytes are taken in through a
mosquito and the process begins all over again.

Below is the life cycle of Plasmodium.

Fungus-like Protists
Fungus-like protists are heterotrophic, they cannot make their own food, and thus they
must be able to move at some point in their lives. These protists contain long hyphaelike strands thus they contain the physical appearance of fungi. The difference lies in that
the hyphae of fungi are white while the hyphae of protists are usually bright in color.
The fungus-like protists can act as decomposers. They break down dead organisms
by releasing digestive enzymes into the dead organism. In the end materials useful to
other living organisms are released into the surrounding environment.
Two examples of the fungus-like protists are water molds and slime molds.
Water Molds

Water molds are fungus-like protists that live in moist environments.

They look like tiny threads with a hazy covering (when in a damp environment). Most
water molds are decomposers, breaking down dead organisms; few water molds are
parasites, living in or on other organisms.

Water molds attack foods such as potatoes, cabbage, and corn. They are capable of
completely destroying crops. An example of the devastation a water mold is capable of
doing happened between the years of 1845 and 1860. The growing seasons at this time
was a cold and damp one; these are conditions that encourage the spread of the water
mold Phytophthora infestans. This water mold is the cause of rotting potato plants (late
blight). It infested all of the potato crops in Ireland. During this period one third of
Irelands population died; they either starved to death or were killed by the infested
potatoes.

Slime Molds

Slime molds are a fungus-like protist that lives in moist

soil, decaying plants, and trees. They have a very bright appearance.
Slime molds are single celled organisms. When conditions become unfavorable the
single celled organisms join together and act like a "multi-cellular" organism. The
protists will then form a sporangia-a cluster of cells on top of a stalk. The sporangia
consist of living cells in a dormant stage, while the stalk consists of dead cells that act as
a foot and push the cells to favorable conditions. When conditions become favorable the
"multi-cellular" organism separates itself back into the single celled organisms.
Euglenoids

Euglenoids are plant-like protists that are usually found in fresh

water. During the day these protists are autotrophic; they can make their own foods.
When night falls they become heterotrophic; they are unable to make their own foods,
and thus they must be able to find it. Some Euglenoids have flagella to help them move
during the heterotrophic stage.
The Eugleoid is a single celled organism with an abundance of organelles. They have
an "eye spot" which covers a light-sensitive receptor. The cell will move to places where
the light suits it best.

Dinoflagellates
Dinoflagellates are plant-like protists found in salt water. They are unicellular and have
flagella to help them move through the water. The Dinoflagellates are capable of glowing
in the dark. They are the cause of Red Tide, when there is an outburst in population and
in turn water becomes red/brown in color.
The Dinoflagellates can produce toxins. If a human eats seafood contaminated with
the toxins he/she will have memory loss and other impaired brain functions.
One dinoflagellate that has gotten out of control is Pfiesteria. Pfiesteria grows in
fertilizer and raw sewage. It has killed a billion fish along the costs of North Carolina,
Maryland, and Virginia since 1991.

DISECCTING MICROSCOPE

PARAMECIUM

Brown algae

The Phaeophyceae or brown algae (singular: alga), is a large group of

mostly marine multicellular algae, including many seaweeds of colder Northern
Hemisphere waters. They play an important role in marine environments, both as food
and for the habitats they form.

Red algae

The red algae, or Rhodophyta ( /rodft/ or /rodfat/; from

Greek: (rhodon) = rose + (phyton) = plant, thus red plant), are one of the oldest
groups of eukaryotic algae,[2] and also one of the largest, with about 5,0006,000 species [3] of
mostly multicellular, marine algae, including many notable seaweeds. Other references
indicate as many as 10,000 species;[4] more detailed counts indicate ~4,000 in ~600 genera
(3,738 marine spp in 546 genera and 10 orders (plus the unclassifiable); 164 freshwater spp in
30 genera in 8 orders).[5]

Green algae

The green algae (singular: green alga) are the large group of algae
from which the embryophytes (higher plants) emerged.[1] As such, they form a paraphyletic
group, although the group including both green algae and embryophytes is monophyletic (and
often just known as kingdom Plantae). The green algae include unicellular and colonial
flagellates, most with two flagella per cell, as well as various colonial, coccoid, and filamentous
forms, and macroscopic seaweeds.