Kingdom Protista Protists are a diverse group All

Kingdom Protista

Protists are a diverse group • All are eukaryotes (have a nucleus) • Animal-like protists (Protozoans) • Plant-like protists (Algae) • Fungus-like protists (slime molds, water molds)

Animal-like Protists • Eat other organisms • Classified by movement: – Ciliates move using small hairs called cilia – Flagellates move using 1 or 2 whip-like tails called flagella – Sarcodines move with pseudopodia – Sporozoans do not move, they are parasites

Ciliates • Paramecia move using tiny waving hairs to glide through the water

Flagellates • Some flagellates are animal-like because they move and eat other things, but they can also photosynthesize like a plant!

Sarcodines • Amoeba move by cytoplasmic streaming (like the Blob!). The projections that are formed are called pseudopodia.

Sporozoans • Malaria is caused by a sporozoan that is spread by mosquito bites.

Plant-like Protists Algae are able to photosynthesize • Classified by color and whether they are single celled or multicellular. • They are much simpler than true plants.

Fungus-like Protists Slime molds have dual lives! • Slime molds start their life cycle like animallike protists • Later they stop moving, form a fruiting body (similar to a mushroom), and make spores

Protists are important • Slime molds act as decomposers to recycle nutrients from dead plants and animals or animal waste. • Algae are the major photosynthesizers on our planet, producing more food and oxygen than the true plants • Protists form the beginning of most food chains • Some are important disease pathogens of plants and animals.