THE PROTIST KINGDOM:
Protists are eukaryotes, meaning they have a nucleus. Most of them are unicellular, although some of the species of multicellular. They can be heterotrophs or autotrophs. A protist is basically any organism that isn’t an animal, plant or fungus. Ironically, there are 3 types of protists; fungus like protists, animal like protozoa, and plant like protists, algae. Most of them live in water, where many of the food sources lie. Plant-like protists are especially important. They are autotrophic photosynthesizers, while the rest eat bacterial or other protist cells, or small organic particles floating or dissolved in water. Due to these feeding habits, and the weakness of non-aquatic locomotion capabilities, protists thrive in aquatic habitats. Many people believe that photosynthesis from plants makes up about all of the oxygen on this planet. But, plant-like protists actually make up 75% of all the worlds oxygen! The protist kingdom is incredibly diverse, and form a large chunk of all living organisms in this world. Movement is made possible by many flagella. In Greek, protist literally means ‘first one’. True, as they made an important step in early evolution, evolving from the first prokaryotes and eventually creating all of the eukaryotes.The first protists most likely evolved 1.7 billion years ago, some 2.3 billion years after the first living organisms, from simple communities of prokaryotic cells. Membrane infolding was one of the most important processes in this evolution. In some prokaryotic cells, parts of the plasma membrane folded into the cell to create other organelles. Organelles like cilia; an important part of many eukaryotes. Identical in structure to flagella, they are hair like that surround the outer surface of many cells, and wave to help put it into motion.
Protists are eukaryotes, meaning they have a nucleus. Most of them are unicellular, although some of the species of multicellular. They can be heterotrophs or autotrophs. A protist is basically any organism that isn’t an animal, plant or fungus. Ironically, there are 3 types of protists; fungus like protists, animal like protozoa, and plant like protists, algae. Most of them live in water, where many of the food sources lie. Plant-like protists are especially important. They are autotrophic photosynthesizers, while the rest eat bacterial or other protist cells, or small organic particles floating or dissolved in water. Due to these feeding habits, and the weakness of non-aquatic locomotion capabilities, protists thrive in aquatic habitats. Many people believe that photosynthesis from plants makes up about all of the oxygen on this planet. But, plant-like protists actually make up 75% of all the worlds oxygen! The protist kingdom is incredibly diverse, and form a large chunk of all living organisms in this world. Movement is made possible by many flagella. In Greek, protist literally means ‘first one’. True, as they made an important step in early evolution, evolving from the first prokaryotes and eventually creating all of the eukaryotes.The first protists most likely evolved 1.7 billion years ago, some 2.3 billion years after the first living organisms, from simple communities of prokaryotic cells. Membrane infolding was one of the most important processes in this evolution. In some prokaryotic cells, parts of the plasma membrane folded into the cell to create other organelles. Organelles like cilia; an important part of many eukaryotes. Identical in structure to flagella, they are hair like that surround the outer surface of many cells, and wave to help put it into motion.
TYPES OF PROTISTS:
Protists contain all the ancestors of the eukaryotes, and are incredibly diverse. There are hundreds of phyla within Kingdom Protista, which can be divided into several main groups:
ALGAE:
Chrombionts:
The Chromobionts contain 2 different types of algae; brown and golden-brown algae. These arefrom the unicellular photosynthetic unicellular diatoms many seaweed of kelp forests.
Cholorobionts:
Cholorobionts are similar to Chrombionts, both algae, and arevery diverse. These are the green algae, and include multi-cellular, colonial and single celled organisms. These might have been the ancestors of many plants today.
Rhodophyta:
These are red algae that live well under the surface of the water, and have a wide selection of photosynthetic pigments. Due to this, they are coloured red. They are also one of the oldest and largest group of algae, with a nucleus.
Cryptomonads:
Interestingly, the Cryptomonads are both animal like protozoans and algae. They contain many rare photosynthetic pigments. They have an asymmetrical shape of their cell, and oddly have the plastid enveloped by 4 separate membranes. They are also relatively small flagellates.
PROTOZOANS:
Rhizopod sarcodines:
These include amoebas, and any other types of protozoans, that have protective shells. As well, they have several types of pseudopodia: extensions of the cyptoplasm, that are temporal. These may help from anything from movement to digestion and feeding.
Actinopodsarcodines:
These arestiffened axopods, usually containing specialized fibers and proteins in the cyptoplasmand a different central capsule.
Apicomplexans:
Apicomplexansare parasitic protozoans, with unique organelle complexes, designed to penetrate the cells and tissues of its host.
Ciliates:
These are primarily living protozoans who move by means of numerous cilia, and contain two different types of nuclei: a large one that controls cell metabolism and development, and many smaller micronuclei that perform in sexual reproduction.
Zooflagellates – flagella:
These protozoans are parasitic and cause may cause many diseases. They do not have cell walls or plastids. They are the most diverse of all eukaryotes and gave rise directly or indirectly to most, if not all, other groups of eukaryotes. They are asexual, and reproduce by binary fission. They consist of many flagella, and they are key for its movement.
FUNGI LIKE PROTISTS:
Microsporidians:
These are a group of small parasites, one of the oldest parasitical groups known.Microsporidians are unicellular, and spore-bearing, and now considered to be fungi. As well, they may change their host’s sex and create other effects.
Myxozoa:
Myxozoa are a group of parasitic protozoans who usemainly cold-blooded vertebrates such as fish as hosts. Although, they sometimes infect annelids with their spores. They sport an extremely reduced body, and are now considered to be multi-cellular organisms. These cause large economic losses in the fishing industry.
Protists contain all the ancestors of the eukaryotes, and are incredibly diverse. There are hundreds of phyla within Kingdom Protista, which can be divided into several main groups:
ALGAE:
Chrombionts:
The Chromobionts contain 2 different types of algae; brown and golden-brown algae. These arefrom the unicellular photosynthetic unicellular diatoms many seaweed of kelp forests.
Cholorobionts:
Cholorobionts are similar to Chrombionts, both algae, and arevery diverse. These are the green algae, and include multi-cellular, colonial and single celled organisms. These might have been the ancestors of many plants today.
Rhodophyta:
These are red algae that live well under the surface of the water, and have a wide selection of photosynthetic pigments. Due to this, they are coloured red. They are also one of the oldest and largest group of algae, with a nucleus.
Cryptomonads:
Interestingly, the Cryptomonads are both animal like protozoans and algae. They contain many rare photosynthetic pigments. They have an asymmetrical shape of their cell, and oddly have the plastid enveloped by 4 separate membranes. They are also relatively small flagellates.
PROTOZOANS:
Rhizopod sarcodines:
These include amoebas, and any other types of protozoans, that have protective shells. As well, they have several types of pseudopodia: extensions of the cyptoplasm, that are temporal. These may help from anything from movement to digestion and feeding.
Actinopodsarcodines:
These arestiffened axopods, usually containing specialized fibers and proteins in the cyptoplasmand a different central capsule.
Apicomplexans:
Apicomplexansare parasitic protozoans, with unique organelle complexes, designed to penetrate the cells and tissues of its host.
Ciliates:
These are primarily living protozoans who move by means of numerous cilia, and contain two different types of nuclei: a large one that controls cell metabolism and development, and many smaller micronuclei that perform in sexual reproduction.
Zooflagellates – flagella:
These protozoans are parasitic and cause may cause many diseases. They do not have cell walls or plastids. They are the most diverse of all eukaryotes and gave rise directly or indirectly to most, if not all, other groups of eukaryotes. They are asexual, and reproduce by binary fission. They consist of many flagella, and they are key for its movement.
FUNGI LIKE PROTISTS:
Microsporidians:
These are a group of small parasites, one of the oldest parasitical groups known.Microsporidians are unicellular, and spore-bearing, and now considered to be fungi. As well, they may change their host’s sex and create other effects.
Myxozoa:
Myxozoa are a group of parasitic protozoans who usemainly cold-blooded vertebrates such as fish as hosts. Although, they sometimes infect annelids with their spores. They sport an extremely reduced body, and are now considered to be multi-cellular organisms. These cause large economic losses in the fishing industry.