Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary

Partnership between Educators and Researchers for Partnership between Educators and Researchers for Enhancing Classroom Teaching Enhancing Classroom Teaching

(GK-12 PERFECT)

Funding source:National Science Foundation GK-12 grant no. DGE-0840804

Slime Molds

Slime mold video 1.

Slime mold video 2.

KINGDOM PROTISTAKINGDOM PROTISTA

Characteristics of Protista

• Nucleus with DNA and more than 1 chromosome• Most have other organelles (mitochondria, endoplasmic

reticulum, Golgi bodies, etc.)• Reproduce by mitosis and/or meiosis

Parabasalids & Diplomonads

• Evolutionarily “primitive” eukaryotes– Poorly developed mitochondria and fewer

organelles

• Flagellated

• Includes symbionts and parasites living in low O2 environments

– Giardia

Euglenoids & Kinetoplastids

Thick, reinforced flagellum

• Euglena– Fresh and marine– Mostly autotrophs

with chloroplasts

• Kinetoplastids– Mostly parasites– African sleeping sickness

Forams & Radiolarians

• Both are mainly heterotrophs (most are marine)

• Foraminiferans– Calcium carbonate shells

– Benthic (bottom dwelling) & planktonic

• Radiolarians– Silica shells

– Planktonic

Alveolates

• Alveoli - small membrane bound sacs beneath the plasma membrane

Alveolates (ciliates)

• Aquatic

• Large component of the microzooplankon (< 200 m)

• Loricate (shell) and aloricate forms

Alveolates (flagellates)

• Apicomplexans (malaria)• Dinoflagellates

– Responsible for many harmful algal blooms

– Marine and freshwater– Autotrophs, heterotrophs

and mixotrophs– Cellulose plate covering– 2 flagella– Bioluminescent forms

Stramenopiles

• Unique “bristled” flagella

• Most are autotrophs (photosynthetic)

• Chrysophytes – mostly phytoplankton

• Brown algae – kelp/seaweeds

Chrysophytes

Coccolithophorids

• Calcium carbonate shells (coccoliths)

• Mainly marine

Chrysophytes

Diatoms

• Silica shells

• Important marine and freshwater phytoplankton

Brown algae

Red and Green algae

• Various “seaweeds”

• Mainly multicellular

• Marine and freshwater

• Include closest relatives to land plants

Amoebozoa

• Closest relatives to animals and fungi

• Includes single celled amoebas and slime molds

Some more on HABs

HAB video 1.

HAB video 2.

Interesting tidbits

More on slime molds.

Interesting tidbits

• If the smallest protist were size of a BB, what object might approximate the size of the largest?

Interesting tidbits

• Answer: approximately 13 Goodyear Blimps stacked end to end - largest would be ½ mile diameter

• Largest protist – 20 cm test (shell)

• Smallest protist – some phytoplankton 1 m diameter

• http://www.sizes.com/natural/protists.htm