ANIMAL DIVERSITY

PROTISTA
(Written Report)

Submitted By:

MONTARIL, Marc Joshua

REYES, Darlene

BS PSYCHOLOGY 1-1
 PROTISTA

ORIGIN
A protist are a diverse group of eukaryotic organism, most of which are microscopic that
has cells with nuclei and is not an animal, plant or fungus. Kingdom Protista is a diverse group of
eukaryotic organisms. Most of the protists are unicellular, some are colonial or multicellular,
they do not have specialized tissue organization. The cell body of the protista contain have a
nucleus which is well defined and membrane bound organelles. They live in any environment
that contains water.

The term Protista was first used by Ernst Haeckel in the year 1886. This kingdom was not
accepted by the scientific world until the 1960s. These unique organisms can be so different from
each other that sometimes Protista is called the “junk drawer" kingdom. Just like a junk drawer,
which contains items that don't fit into any other category, this kingdom contains the eukaryotes
that cannot be put into any other kingdom. Therefore, protists can seem very different from one
another.

CHARACTERISTICS
 They are simple eukaryotic organisms.
 Most of the organisms are unicellular and some are multicellular.
 These organisms are eukaryotic, since they have a membrane bound nucleus and
endomembrane systems.
 They have mitochondria for cellular respiration and some have chloroplasts for
photosynthesis.
 Nuclei of protists contain multiple DNA strands, the number of nucleotides are
significantly less than complex eukaryotes.
 Movement is often by flagella or cilia.
 Cellular respiration is primarily aerobic process, but some living in mud below ponds or
in digestive tracts of animals are strict facultative anaerobes..
 They can reproduce by mitosis and some are capable of meiosis for sexual reproduction.
 Some protists are pathogens of both animals and plants.
 The protists do not form a natural group, or clade, since they exclude certain eukaryotes;
but they are often grouped together for convenience
CELL STRUCTURE
Size is anywhere from tiny unicellular to large multicellular. Protist cells may be
enveloped by animal-like cell membranes or plant-like cell walls. Others are encased in glassy
silica-based shells or wound with pellicles of interlocking protein strips. The pellicle functions
like a flexible coat of armor, preventing the protist from being torn or pierced without
compromising its range of motion.

CLASSIFICATION OF PROTISTS
ANIMAL-LIKE PROTISTS
 Protozoan means “First Animal”.
 Cells contain a nucleus.
 Cells lack a cell wall.
 They are heterotrophs.
 Most can move on their own.

4 GROUPS OF ANIMAL-LIKE PROTISTS

1.Ciliates

• Have cilia on the outside of their cells.

2. Flagellates
• Have a flagellum: a long whip-like structure used for movement.
• Many live in animals
• Symbiosis a close relationship, at least one benefits.
• Mutualism: when both partners benefit.

3.Sarcodines
• Have pseudopods (Greek:“false foot”)
• Extensions of the cell membrane and cytoplasm.
• Pseudopods are used for movement and to capture food.
• Many have shells.
• These shells form limestone, marble and chalk.
4.Sporozoans
 • All Sporozans are parasites.
• They feed on cells and body fluids.
• Form from Spores (tiny reproductive cells).
• Pass from one host to another.
• Pass from ticks, mosquitoes or other animals to humans.

PLANT-LIKE PROTISTS (ALGAE)

6 GROUPS OF PLANT-LIKE PROTISTS

1. Euglenoids
 Live in fresh water
 Autotrophs, but can be heterotrophs under certain conditions.
 Flagella
 Eyespot: sensitive to light.
 Chloroplasts
 Pellicle
2. Diatoms
 Unicellular
 10,000 living species.
 Aquatic
 Glass like cell wall
 Diatomaceous earth: course powder that comes from dead diatoms (toothpaste, car
polish & reflective paint.
3. Dinoflagellates
 Unicellular
 Cell walls are like plates of armor.
 Two flagella
 Spins when it moves.
 Colorful (pigments)
  Can glow in the dark.
 Causes Red Tide

4. Red Algae
 Multicellular seaweeds
 Live in deep ocean waters
 Used for ice cream and hair conditioner
 Used as food in Asia

5. Green Algae
 Most are unicellular
 Some form colonies
 Few are multicellular
 Can live in fresh and salt water and on land in damp places.
 Very closely related to green plants.

6. Brown Algae
 Commonly called seaweed
 Can contain brown, green, yellow, orange and black pigments.
 Attach to rocks
 Have air bladders
 Giant Kelp can be 100 meters long.
 Used as food thickeners

FUNGUS-LIKE PROTISTS

 Heterotrophs
 Have cell walls.
 Many have flagella and are able to move at some point in their lives.
 Three types: Slime Molds, Water & Downy Molds
 Reproduce with Spores (tiny cell that is able to grow into a new organism)

NUTRITION
Protists exhibit different methods of acquiring nutrition. Some are photosynthetic
autotrophs, meaning that they are self-feeders and capable of using sunlight to
generate carbohydrates for nutrition. Other protists are heterotrophs, which acquire nutrition
through feeding on other organisms. This is accomplished by phagocytosis, the process in which
particles are engulfed and digested internally. Still, other protists acquire nutrition predominately
by absorbing nutrients from their environment. Some protists may exhibit both photosynthetic
and heterotrophic forms of nutrient acquisition.

EXCRETION
 Protists are so small that they do not need any special organs to exchange gases or excrete
wastes. They rely on simple diffusion, the passive movement of materials from an area of high
concentration to an area of low concentration, to move gases and waste materials in and out of
the cell.

OSMOREGULATION
Protists use contractile vacuoles to transport ammonia and other excretory wastes from
the cytoplasm to the cell membrane, where the vacuole opens to the environment. Osmotic
pressure forces water into the cytoplasm, while diffusion and active transport control the flow of
water and electrolytes. The vacuole moves to the surface and disposes the contents into the
environment.

REPRODUCTION
Protists reproduce asexually by budding and binary fission. Binary fission is a form of
multiple fission and is also considered the most typical form of reproduction in the protista
kingdom. Protists reproduce sexually though syngamy, which is conjugation and an alternation
of generations

Binary fission - is a form of multiple fission and is also considered the most typical form of
reproduction in the protista kingdom. Budding occurs when asexual reproduction produces a bud
-- a daughter nucleus -- which then develops into its own structure. This is the basic premise of
multiple fission: daughter nuclei dividing until they actually transform into a young version of
the parent protist.

MEMBER; PHYLUM/SUBPHYLUM
Phylum Sarcodina - The movement in sarcodinians is by extending lobes of cytoplasm known
as pseudopodia. The pseudopoda is used for movement and feeding. During the formation of the
pseudopodia the cytoplasm streams into the lobe causing the lobe to 'ooze' and grow. Because of
this the peudopodians have a 'blob like appearance. Example: Amoeba, Foraminiferans.

Phylum Mastigophora (Zooflagellata) - These protozoans move with the help of flagella. Most
of them are parasitic. Many flagellates are seen in the intestine of humans, in termites and other
animals, some flagellates are harmful. Example: Trypanosoma gambiense causes sleeping
sickness in cattle and human.

Phylum Ciliophora (Ciliates) - Protozoans of this phylum move with hair like structures called
cilia. The cilia stick out of their cells. The movement of cilia is paddle like, it sways back and
forth for movement and fast beating of the cilia causes movement of the organism. The cilia is
also used to sweep food particles into the organism. Example: Paramecium - It is a ciliate
protozoan found in fresh water and ponds. It commonly known as the slipper animal-cule.
Phylum Sporozoa - All members of this phylum are non-motile and parasitic. They forms spores
and hence the name sporozoa. They lack locomotory structures and they are carried in their
hosts by their body fluids. Many sporozoans causes serious diseases in humans.
Example: Plasmodium - this parasite causes malaria in humans.

Phylum Chlorophyta (Green Algae) - The green algae include unicellular and multicellular
algae. They are mostly fresh water. Body is sheet-like thallus. They have cell walls made of
cellulose and pectin. Food is reserve starch which is stored in pyrenoids. Example: Spirogyra - it
is a unicellular green alga, it grows as a green thread or filament.

Phylum Rhodophyta (Red Algae) - Red algae are mostly large and multicellular. They grow in
oceans. The algae 'Nori' and Gelidium are used as food, in parts of Asia. Carragean and agar are
glue-like substances in red-a;gae. Agar is used as a medium used for growing bacteria and other
organisms under laboratory conditions. Agar is also used to make gelatin capsules. and a base for
cosmetics. Carragean is used as a stabilizer and thickener in dairy products. It is also used to give
toothpaste its creamy texture.

Phylum Phaeophyta (Brown Algae) - Brown algae are multicellular. They grow on rocks in
shallow water of the sea. Large brown algae are called kelps. Kelps may grow densely in the sea
and form kelp forests. They form important food sources for fish and invertebrates. The brown
algae growing on rocks are known as rockweed. Example of rockweed is Sargassum. Algin is a
substance derived from some algae which is used in making ice cream, lotion and plastics.

Phylum Chrysophyta (Golden algae) - 'Chryso' means 'color of gold'. There are three types of
golden-algae: yellow-green algae, golden brown algae, diatoms. Diatoms are the most abundant
and are found in seawater and freshwater habitats. The shell of diatoms are made of silica. They
are major source of food to may aquatic organisms. The shells of fossil diatoms form thick
deposits on the sea floor known as 'diatomaceous earth'. It is used as water filters, abrasive and to
add sparkling to products such as paint and fingernail polish.

Phylum Pyrrophyta (Fire Algae) - It contains of species of one-celled algae called dinoflagellate
which means 'spinning swimmers'. They store food in the form of starch and oils. The red color
is due to chlorophyll a and c and xanthophylls. These organisms have ability of bioluminescence.
Almost all species like in marine water. Some species causes the 'red tide phenomenon'. The
dinoflagellates causing red tides are known as Gonyaulax, which contain a neurotoxin and are
poisonous to marine fauna.
REFERENCES

https://www.ck12.org/biology/protist-characteristics/lesson/Protist-Characteristics-MS-LS/

https://sciencing.com/do-organisms-reproduce-kingdom-protista-8788583.html

https://biology.tutorvista.com/organism/kingdom-protista.html

https://www.thoughtco.com/osmoregulation-definition-and-explanation-4125135

https://sites.google.com/a/st.cabarrus.k12.nc.us/codys_life_processes/excretion

https://sciencing.com/do-organisms-reproduce-kingdom-protista-8788583.html