CHAPTER 4

PROTISTA
THE BEGINNING OF EUKARYOTIC
ORGANISMS
 LESSON OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

 Explain the characteristics of molds

 State the classification of molds
 Discuss the unique characteristics for each phyla of
molds
 Describe the life cycle of selected species of molds
 Relate the impor tance of molds in ecosystem and in
economy
 PROTISTA : MOLDS

Ge n eral c h aracteristics.

 The protists that resemble fungi in that they are s a prophytic,

consisting fungus-like body and threadlike structures called
h yphae. Their cell containing c e ntrioles and their cell walls
are built from c e llulose instead of chitin in fungi.

 Their habitats are also restricted to w e t a nd d amp a r eas

including on the leaf litter, damp and decaying logs or any wet
substances.

 Members of molds include Plasmodial Slime Molds

(Myxomycota), Cellular Slime Molds (Acrasiomycota ) and
Water Molds (Oomycota).
 MOLDS - PLASMODIAL SLIME MOLDS
(MYXOMYCOTA)
 The pr oti sts that have a di ffer ent type of feedi ng pr ocess by per for mi ng
pl asmodi um (pl asmodi a), a m u l ti nucleate m a s s o f c y t opla sm. The
pl asmodi um i s s l i my and c r eeps a l ong t h e w e t s u b s tances for mi ng a
networ k of channel s that cover s l ar ge sur face ar eas. As i t cr eeps al ong,
i t i ngests bacter i a, spor es and decayi ng or gani c matter s.
 Under u n f avor abl e c o ndi ti on, the pl asmodi um cr awl s to the exposed
sur face ar eas and i ni ti ates r epr oducti on pr ocess. Stal ked str uctur e star ts
to devel op and pr oduce s p o r angi a. Wi thi n spor angi a, m e i osi s occur s to
pr oduce h a p l oi d c el l s that ar e r esi stant towar ds unfavor abl e condi ti ons.
 If condi ti on i s f a v orabl e, the spor es ger mi nate and a h a p l oi d r e pr oducti ve
c e l l emer ges fr om each. The hapl oi d cel l s may devel op to be bi fl agel l ated
cel l cal l ed, s w a r m c e l l, or amoeboi d cal l ed, m y xamoeba . If the moi stur e
i s hi gher, mor e swar m cel l s wi l l be devel oped.
 Both swar m cel l s and myxamoeba act as g a m etes. They fuse together to
for m a z y gote wi th di pl oi d nucl eus. The di pl oi d nucl eus di vi des many
ti mes but the cytopl asm does not di vi de. As a r esul t, i t pr oduces
mul ti nucl eate pl asmodi um.

 Exampl e : Phys arum polycephal um

PLASMODIAL SLIME MOLDS – LIFE CYCLE
 Some examples of
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx3Uu1hfl6Q Plasmodial Slime Molds
 MOLDS – CELLULAR SLIME MOLDS
(ACRASIOMYCOTA)
 This group has a characteristic in between of a m o eb a a n d
pl a s modial s l i m e m o l d .

 In their feeding stage ( f a vo rabl e c o n dition) , this group exists as

i n di vidual a m o eboid c e l l s that behave as a separate, solitar y
organism. Each of them c r e e ps o n da m p, w e t s ur f aces and
together ingests bacterial cells, spores and organic matters. The
amoeboid cells reproduce a s e xuall y by bi n ar y f i s s ion and
become h a ploid c e l l s.

 Under un f avorable c o n di tion , cer tain amoeboid cells release a

chemical signal, c y cl ic a de no sine m o n opho sphate (cAMP) that
causes them to a g g regate by h un dr ed o r t h o usand c e l ls . The
multicellular unit will creep for a shor t distance and settle down
as a ps e udo plas mod ium or ‘slug’. The slug eventually develops a
stalked fruiting body that bears a s e xual s po r e s . After being
released, the spore opens and a single haploid amoeboid cell
emerges and star ts the feeding stage again.

 Example : Dictyostelium discoideum

CELLULAR SLIME MOLDS – LIFE CYCLE
 Aggregated amoeboid cells
after releasing cAMP

Formation of fruiting body

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h8WOWEqP6o
 MOLDS – WATER MOLDS (OOMYCOTA)

 Thi s gr oup has a super fi ci al l y r esembl ance wi th fungi i n ter m of thei r

body str uctur e and cel l wal l composi ti on.

 The body consi sts of a thr eadl i ke str uctur e cal l ed hyphae. The hyphae i s
coenocyti c and many hyphae for m a mycel i um that gr ows on or gani c
mater i al s, di gesti ng and absor bi ng the pr edi gested nutr i ent. Thei r cel l
wal l may be composed of cel l ul ose, chi ti n or both of them.

 Water mol ds usual l y r e pr oduce a s e xual l y u n d er f a v ora ble c o n diti on . A

hyphae ti p swel l s and a cr oss wal l i s for med, separ ati ng the hyphal ti p
fr om the r est of mycel i um. Thi s str uctur e i s known as z oospor angi um
that pr oduces ti ny bi fl agel l ate z oospor es. Each of z oospor es fi nal l y
devel ops i nto new mycel i um.

 Under u n f avor abl e c o ndi ti on, s e xual r e pr oduction i s tr i gger ed. Some of
the mycel i a devel op the mal e str uctur e cal l ed a n t h er idi um and some
devel op the femal e str uctur e cal l ed o o g oni um. The anther i di um fuses
wi th oogoni um to for m a z y gote. The z ygote eventual l y becomes thi ck-
wal l ed str uctur e cal l ed o o s p her e and fi nal l y for ms o o s por es .

 Exampl e : Phytophthora infes tans

WATER MOLDS - LIFE CYCLE
 DIVERSITY OF WATER MOLDS

Fish skin lesion due to

water molds

Oogonium of Saprolegnia

Fly nymph heavily

infested by water molds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvvHUHpfQbw
THE END OF CHAPTER 4 P l e as e
p r o c ee d t o
A c t iv ity p a g e s