CHAPTER 27 PROTISTS

I. Evolution of eukaryotes
A. loss of cell wall and membrane infolding

B. endosymbiosis
1. chlor. and mito. contain circular DNA
2. chlor. and mito. divide by binary fiss.
3. chlor. and mito. have size, ribosomes
similar to pro's in size, rRNA seq.
4. modern examples

II. Protist characteristics - extreme diversity

A. habitat
B. can be described (nutritionally) as:
1. animal-like protists (protozoans)
2. plant-like protists (algae)
3. fungal-like protists

C. locomotion

D. vesicles
1. contractile vacuoles
2. food vacuoles

E. cell surfaces

F. reproduction
1. asexual
2. sexual
III. Taxonomy
A. 6 kingdom system
B. multi-kingdom system
C. taxonomy of protists changes often as new
data accumulates.
D. clade designations – table 27.1

IV. Diplomonads and parabasalids

A. lack mitochondria
B. motile by flagella
C. Giardia and Trichomonas

V. Euglenozoans
A. euglenoids
1. hetero-, auto-, or both
2. 2 flagella
3. Euglena
B. kinetoplastids
1. kinetoplast inside single mitochondrial matrix
2. Trypanosoma – surface proteins

VI. Alveolates
A. have alveoli underneath pl. memb.
B. dinoflagellates
1. marine producers
2. coral symbionts
3. toxin producers
4. internal plates of cellulose; flagella

C. apicomplexans
1. all parasites of animals
 2. apical complex for cell penetration
3. non-motile
4. complex life cycles w/ host(s), sexual
and asexual phases
5. Plasmodium sp.
6. Toxoplasma sp.

D. Ciliates
1. 2 types of nuclei - macronucleus and many
micronuclei
2. divide asexually by binary fission
3. exchange micronuclei in conjugation
4. Paramecium

VII. Stramenopiles
A. “hairy” flagellum in most
B. food reserves as laminarin in most
C. diatoms
1. silica in cell wall
2. photosynthetic
3. industrial uses

D. brown algae
1. all multicellular
2. alginic acid used as thickener
3. Macrocystis, Sargassum

E. water molds - oomycetes

1. coenocytic filaments resemble fungal hyphae
2. flagellated zoospores
3. most saprobic, some parasites of plants
VIII. Red algae
A. red pigment phycoerythrin found only
in these and in cyanobacteria - ancestor?
B. can live in variety of depths
C. most multicellular
D. enhance coral
E. sushi, agar, carageenan

IX. Green algae

A. charophytes
1. ancestors to land plants
B. chlorophytes
1. single celled, colonial, or multicellular
2. symbiosis w/ fungi in lichens
3. diverse life cycles

X. choanoflagellates
A. closest relative of animals – sponges

XI. Amoebas
A. move by pseudopods
B. inhabit fresh, salt water, damp soil
C. most free-living, some parasitic
D. radiolarians have thin, stiff pseudopodia
wh/ extend from holes in silica shells
E. foraminiferans – marine, CaCO3 shell,
fossils

XII. Slime molds

A. plasmodial slime molds (acellular)
1. brightly pigmented, feeds on detritus
 2. zygote
mitosis w/ no cytokinesis =
coenocytic mass. called plasmodium
3. harsh conditions cause sporulation w/
haploid spores that germinate, fuse
4. Physarum
B. cellular slime molds
1. solitary haploid amoebas move independently,
aggregate during harsh conditions
2. reproduce sexually by fusion of 2 amoebas

XIII. Alternation of generations fig. 27.15

A. seen in many seaweeds and all plants
B. alternate b/t multicellular diploid sporophyte and
multicellular haploid gametophyte
C. spores produced by
D. gametes produced by

XIV. Endosymbiosis and protists fig. 27.8

A. primary – chloroplasts w/ 2 memb.
B. secondary – chloroplasts w/ 3 memb.
C. tertiary – chl. w/ 4 memb.
 OBJECTIVES FOR CHAPTER 27

1. Describe the endosymbiont theory and how the endomembranes evolved

2. Know the general characteristics of the major groups of protists
3. Understand the changing nature of protistan taxonomy
4. Describe the general steps of the alternation of generations
5. Relate endosymbiosis with different types of autotrophs
6. Understand the complexity and the significance of conjugation in the ciliates
7. Understand the significance of the relationship between red algae and cyanobacteria
8. Know which phylum of algae are related to plants
9. Answer correctly self-quiz questions 1-10 and For Discussion questions 1-7

SAMPLE QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 27

1. Which of the following is responsible for causing red tide?

a. diatoms
b. dinoflagellates
c. green algae
d. red algae
e. apicomplexans

2. Which of the following is an autotroph?

a. diplomonads d. water molds
b. amoebas e. apicomplexans
c. diatoms

3. Exchange of micronuclei occurs in

a. the flagellates
b. the ciliates
c. the amoeba
d. Giardia sp.
e. the Apicomplexans

4. The photosynthetic pigment phycoerythrin is found in

a. the red algae
b. the cyanobacteria
c. the diatoms
d. Euglena sp.
e. a and b only

5. Plants are thought to have evolved from

a. cyanobacteria
b. diatoms
c. red algae
d. charophytes e. dinoflagellates
6. Which of the following is FALSE concerning Giardia?
a. have two haploid nuclei
b. lack mitochondria
c. are in the Apicomplexan group
d. cause diarrhea in humans
e. none of the above are FALSE, all are TRUE

7. All members of this group are parasitic:

a. ciliates
b. apicomplexans
c. stramenopiles
d. amoebas
e. radiolarians

8. All of the following have shell-like structures except

a. radiolarians
b. diplomonads
c. diatoms
d. dinoflagellates
e. foraminiferans

9. Giant kelp and Sargassum are

a. brown algae
b. red algae
c. dinoflagellates
d. slime molds
e. archaezoans

10. Alternation of generations takes place in

a. some seaweeds
b. plants
c. amoebas
d. ciliates
e. a and b only