Laboratory Activity # 4

PROTISTS
Overview:
Protists are a group of organisms that have traditionally been placed together because
they are primarily single-celled eukaryotic organisms. They are often categorized into
plant-like, animal-like, and fungal-like groups.

Objectives: At the end of this activity, you are expected to:

a. describe the characteristics of the common representatives of protists.
b. give the functions of the important structures of the protist representatives.
c. state their importance in nature.

Station 1. Amoeba:
a. Draw an amoeba or insert a picture with parts
b. Go to youtube.com and view an animated amoeba.
c. View how amoeba engulf a diatom.
Try this link if it works:youtube.com/embed/Un5TTLA2Vvc?rel=O
If it does not search your own.
d. View also how amoeba engulf a prey.

Developmental questions:
1.How do you classify this organism in terms of cell structure ? Eukaryote or
Prokaryote ? Why ?
The predominantly single-celled organisms of the domains Bacteria and Archaea are
classified as prokaryotes (pro– = before; –karyon– = nucleus). Animal cells, plant cells,
fungi, and protists are eukaryotes (eu– = true). The primary distinction between these
two types of organisms is that eukaryotic cells have a membrane-bound nucleus and
prokaryotic cells do not. The nucleus is where eukaryotes store their genetic
information.
2. Why do you think that amoeba is considered a protist?
An amoeba is a classification of protist (single-celled eukaryotic organism that is neither
plant, animal, bacteria, nor fungus) that are amorphous in shape. They move via
forming 'feet-like' pseudopodia, which are also used for feeding.

3.Explain two purposes of pseudopods.

(1) locomotion and (2) capture of prey or engulfing of food. For instance, amoeba can
crawl by extending the cytoplasm and the contraction of the filaments. The
pseudopodbulge outward from the edge of the cell to pull in the entire organism as it
goes forward.

4.How is food vacuole formed ?

Food vacuoles formed when the food is pushed toward the cell where the membrane
bends inward. As the food pushes against the membrane, the membrane stretches
inward until the food particle is completely in the cell, where the membrane then
pinches off, forming a vacuole.

Station B: Paramecium
Label the parts of the Paramecium.
Give the functions of at least four parts .

Micronucleus
Cytoplasm Cilia

Macronucleus Pellicle

Contractile Vacuole
Food Vacuole

Oral Groove

1. The body of this protozoan is covered externally by a colorless, thin, firm and elastic
cuticular membrane called as pellicle. It is also known as periplast. The firm pellicle
provides definite and constant shape to this protozoan and also allows bending
movements.

2. Cilia are short hair like structures present all over the surface of the body. They may
be also confined to specific regions of the ciliate protozoan. Cilia help in locomotion as
well as in food collection.
3. Many non-contractile food vacuoles move along with the streaming cytoplasm
throughout the body of this protozoan. These food vacuoles are also known as
gastrioles. The size of the gastrioles may vary depending on the nature and size of the
food present in them.

4. These are two contractile vacuoles in Paramecium, one at each end of the body.
These occupy fixed positions and lie close to the dorsal body surface. These open to
outside on the dorsal surface by a short discharge canal.

5. The ventral surface of the body of this protozoan bears a prominent, oblique and
shallow depression. This depression is known as oral groove. It originates from the
middle of the body and extends to the left side of anterior end. At the posterior side the
oral groove leads into a deeper conical vestibule which in turn communicates with buccal
cavity.

Developmental Questions:
a. How do Paramecium take in food? Look for a video about this.

Paramecium obtain their food through the use of tiny hairs called cilia. It uses cilia to
sweep its food into its oral groove. A vacuole forms around the food particle once the
particle is inside it.

b. Where can we find Paramecium caudatum?

Paramecium caudatum is a species of unicellular protist in the phylum Ciliophora.

They can reach 0.33 mm in length and are covered with minute hair-like organelles
called cilia. The cilia are used in locomotion and feeding. The species is very
common, and widespread in marine, brackish and freshwater environments

c. What are the roles of this protist in nature?

Protists function at several levels of the ecological food web: as primary producers,
as direct food sources, and as decomposers. In addition, many protists are parasites
of plants and animals and can cause deadly human diseases or destroy valuable
crops.

d. What do you call the green structute inside its cell?

Chloroplasts are green because they contain the pigment chlorophyll, which is vital
for photosynthesis. Chloroplasts are essential for the survival and growth of plants
and photosynthetic protists. They are responsible to carry out photosynthesis, the
process of conversion of light energy into sugar and other organic molecules that are
used by plants or algae as food.

STATION 3 : EUGLENA
 View this Euglena using animated video to appreciate its movement. Just do your own
search. Describe the parts found as label.

Developmental Questions:
1. Classify this protist using the key to taxonomic classification/
2. Give the habitat ,
3. What is/are the role/roles of this organism in our nature?
4. What anmals are feed with this organism?
5. Make a possible food chain involving Euglena.

Euglena is a unicellular organism with a complex internal structure that includes a

contractile vacuole that can expel water and a red 'eyespot'. Photosynthetic forms
contain a chloroplast. They possess two flagellae, one long, one short, which can allow
the organisms to move. Since Euglena is a eukaryotic unicellular organism, it contains
the major organelles found in more complex life. This protist is both an autotroph,
meaning it can carry out photosynthesis and make its own food like plants, as well as a
heteroptoph, meaning it can also capture and ingest its food. When acting as a
autotroph, the Euglena utilizes its chloroplasts (which gives it the green colour) to
produce sugars by photosynthesis, when acting as a heterotroph, the Euglena surrounds
the particle of food and consumes it by phagocytosis, or in other words, engulfing the
food through its cell membrane

 Membrane/Pellicle- Stiff membrane made of proteins and somewhat flexible,

can also be used for locomotion when crunching up and down or wriggling
 Cytoplasm- This organelle helps the cell remove excess water, and without it
the euglena could take in some much water due to osmosis that the cell would
explode or lyse.
 Chloroplast- Organelle that allows the organism to conduct photosynthesis
  Stigma(Eyespot)- A light sensitive-spot that allows the Euglena to detect light,
so that it may move towards it in order to conduct photosynthesis
 Contractile Vacuole- Expels excess water into the reservoir, or else the cell
would burst
 Photoreceptor- This light-sensitive region detects light and is located near the
flagellum. It assists in phototaxis (movement toward or away from light)
 Flagellum- A long, mobile filament that the Euglena uses to propel itself in its
environment
 Nucleus/Nucleolus- The central organelle which contains DNA and controls the
cell's activity, contained within the Nucleolus

Overall:
List down important characteristics of Protists.
1. They are mostly unicellular but some are multicellular.
2. They are either free-living or parasitic.
3. They are true eukaryotes and are nucleated.
4. They use flagella and cilia for locomotion.
5. They are either heterotrophic or autotrophic.

Benefits to humans:
 All protists make up a huge part of the food chain.
 Produce the oxygen we breathe
 Play an important role in nutrient recycling.
 Many protists are also commonly used in medical research. For example,
medicines made from protists are used in treatment of high blood pressure,
digestion problems, ulcers, and arthritis.
 Other protists are used in scientific studies. For example, slime molds (including
D. discoideum, a soil-living protist) are used to analyze the chemical signals in
cells.
 Protists are also valuable in industry. Look on the back of a milk carton. You will
most likely see carrageenan, which is extracted from red algae. This is used to
make puddings and ice cream solid (food additives)