The World of Protists

Plantlike vs. Animal-Like

Part 1

Protists…. What are they? How do they move, eat, and

reproduce?

Protists

Protists are mostly single celled microscopic organisms.

They can have traits of animals, plants, or both.

They usually live in ponds, rivers, oceans, and damp soil.

Movement and Food

An amoeba forms a pseudopod, or false foot, to move and capture food.

Parameciums have hairlike structures called cilia which propel the organism and draw in food.

Other protozoans have a flagella or whiplike tail for movement.

Use chlorophyll to make their own food.

Some have a flagella for movement. (Can feed on other organisms if there is not enough sunlight).

It also has a “light sensitive eyespot” that is similar to an eye

Animal-like protists Plantlike protists

Reproduction

Most protists reproduce by a process called fission, or the dividing of a cell to make two new cells.

In this form there is only one “parent” and the new cells are identical to the parent.

Part 2

Comparing animal-like protists and plantlike

protists

Let’s CompareProtozoan Fungi

Most are single celled

They live in all parts of the environment

Some are animal-like and some are plantlike

Actively search for food

They can be parasites

Most are multicellular

Most live and grow on organic material

They are plantlike but have no chloroplasts

Produce their own food

Parasites- Animal-like protists

Some protozoans do not move on their own. Most of these are called parasites.

A parasite is an organism that lives on another organism.

Algae- Plantlike Protists

Diatoms- single-celled algae found in fresh water and sea water.

Plankton- tiny organisms that float near the ocean’s surface.

Interesting Fact

Multicellular Protists include seaweed and fresh

water algae

Part 3

Protozoan Diseases and Different types of Fungi

Malaria Malaria is caused by a protozoan parasite

called Plasmodium which is mostly carried by mosquitoes (Anopheles). It is a disease that attacks the red blood cells in the host.

Prevention

• Avoid being bitten

• Drain swampy areas

• Use insecticides

• Use protective netting

Treatment- Includes a variety of medicines!

Cool Fact

Did you know that bread yeast is a single celled fungi that can produce a kind of alcohol called ethanol.

So what?...

Ethanol is used in the food and drink industry, cleaning industry, and is even being used in the automotive

industry as an alternate fuel source.

Fungi

Fungi are organisms that live on the remains of dead organisms, many are called saprophytes.

Spores are the reproductive cells carried by fungi that develop into new organisms.

Without fungi the world would be buried under mountains of dead materials.

Good and Bad Fungi

Some fungi, like certain molds, produce important substances like medicine (ex. Penicillin)

Other fungi, like yeasts, are used to make foods such as bread.

Some fungi can be parasitic causing great damage to crops.

Examples are rusts, smuts, and powdery mildews