CHAPTER#7

THE KINGDOM
PROTOCTISTA
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 SLO#7.2.1:
EVOLUTIONARY
RELATIONSHIP
AMONG
PROTISTS

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 KINGDOM PROTOCTISTA
(PROTISTA):
It includes all the unicellular
eukaryotic organisms, which are no
longer classified as animals, plants or
fungi. E.g. Euglena, Paramecium,
Chlamydomonas, Plasmodium etc.
Multicellular algae and primitive
fungi have also been included.
 The Protist kingdom is a
POLYPHYLETIC GROUP of
organisms; that is , protists do not
share a single common ancestor.
This hypothesis is based upon the variations;
In size: from microscopic to giant one ,
Some are unicellular, some have a colonial
organization, some are coenocytic
(multinucleate but not multicellular), and
some are multicellular.
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 Variations In methods of
obtaining nutrients:
The autotrophic protists, e.g the algae
have chlorophyll and photosynthesize as
plants do.
The heterotrophic . protists, e.g water
molds, obtain their food by absorption as
fungi; the protozoa and slime molds
resemble animals i.e. they ingest food.
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Variations In Mode of Life:
Many protists are free
living while others form symbiotic
(Mutualism to Parasitism)
association with different organisms.
Most protists are aquatic and live in
.

oceans or freshwater. They make up

a part of the plankton.
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Variations in reproduction:
All protists reproduce asexually.
Many also reproduce sexually with
both meiosis and syngamy
.
(the union
of gamets).
Most protists do not develop
multicellular sex organs and embryos.
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 Variations in locomotion:
Mostly they are motile at some
stage of their life cycle.
E.g. amoeboid motion, movement
by waving cilia or by lashing
.

flagella.
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 MAJOR GROUPS OF
PROTISTA (PROTOCTISTA)
1- Plant like Protoctists - Algae
2- Fungi-like Protoctists - Primitive
fungi
3- Animal-like Protoctists -Protozoa
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 SLO#7.3.1:
SALIENT
FEATURES OF
ANIMAL-LIKE
PROTISTS

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ANIMAL-LIKE PROTOCTISTS
(PROTOZOA)
S
A 1- The protozoans are eukaryotic,
L
I unicellular organisms.
E
N 2- They are found in all
T
environments where water is
F
E
present.
A
T 3- The protozoans are unified by
U
R their ingestive heterotrophic mode
E
S
of nutrition.
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S
A 4- Most are free living. Parasitic
L protozoa live in the body of
I
E animals or in the plants.
N
T
5- Reproduction takes place by
F
E asexual and sexual method.
A
T
U 6- Protozoans exhibit diverse
R
E modes of locomotion.
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 SLO#7.3.2:
CLASSIFY ANIMAL-
LIKE PROTISTS ON
THE BASIS OF THEIR
LOCOMOTORY
ORGANELLES

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About 30,000 species of protozoa are
divided into five classes, which differ in
their means of locomotion.
i- Class Sarcodina
(Rhizopoda)
iv- Class Suctoria
ii- Class Flagellata
(Mastigophora)
V- Class Sporozoa
iii- Class Ciliata
(Ciliophora) 16
 (1)- Class: Sarcodina (Rhizopoda)
(a) GROUP: AMOEBAE

1- LOCOMOTION takes place by

temporary projections of
cytoplasm called pseudopodia.
This type of movement is called
amoeboid movement.
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2- MODE OF NUTRITION: Parasitic
(Entamoeba histolytica is a parasite living
in the intestine of man, causes amoebic
dysentery) and Holozoic (Amoeba
proteus).
3- REPRODUCTION : Asexual by Binary
fission and Sexual by Gametic fusion.
4- NUCLEUS: Uninucleated
6- Example : Amoeba & Entamoeba
histolytica
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 (b) FORAMINIFERANS AND
ACTINOPODS
1-These marine protozoans produce shells
(or tests).
2- Tests of foraminifera are made of
calcium whereas those of actinopods are
made of silica.
3- The shells contain pores through which
cytoplasmic projections can be extended.
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4- These cytoplasmic
projections form a sticky,
interconnected net that
entangles prey.
5- Dead foraminiferans
sink to the bottom of the
ocean where their shells
form a grey mud that is
gradually transformed
into chalk and created
limestone deposits. 22
Through million of years
they have deposited
layers of their shells
called “ooze” at the
bottom of the sea. These
“Radiolarian ooze or
Globigerina ooze” gives
clues for presence of
petroleum deposits.
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2- Class: Flagellata (Mastigophora)

(c) ZOOFLAGELLATES
1- LOCOMOTION takes place by one or
more flagella.
2- NUCLEUS: Uninucleated
3- REPRODUCTION : Asexual and Sexual.
4- NUTRITION: Flagellates obtain their
food either by ingesting living or dead
organisms or by absorbing nutrients from
dead or decomposing oraganic matter.
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5- They may be free living, symbionts
or parasites.
6- Example: Trichonymphas with
many flagella.
They live as symbionts in the guts of
termites and help in the digestion of
dry wood.
(It contains a bacterium that
enzymatically converts the cellulose
of wood to soluble carbohydrates).
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7- Parasitic flagellates cause disease.
8- Example: Trypanosoma is a human
parasite causing African sleeping
sickness. It is transmitted by the bite
of infected tsetse fly.

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9- Choanoflagellates
are sessile marine or
fresh water flagellates
which are attached by
a stalk and their single
flagellum is
surrounded by a
delicate collar.
10- they resemble to
the collar cells in
sponges.
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 3- Class: Ciliata (Ciliophora)
(d) CILIATES
1- LOCOMOTION takes place by cilia.
2- PELLICLLE: Have flexible outer
covering pellicle that gives them a
definite but changeable shape.
3- REPRODUCTION : Asexual by Binary
fission and Sexual by Conjugation. During
conjugation two individuals come
together and exchange 29
genetic material.
4- NUCLEUS: Binucleated. Small diploid
micronuclei that function in sexual
process, and a large polyploidy
macronucleus that controls cell
metabolism and growth.
5-MODE OF NUTRITION: Complete
heterotroph i.e. predator.
6- Example : Paramecium is a free
living aquatic form. Balantidium and
Opalina are parasites.
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7- LOCOMOTION: In paramecium,
the surface of the cell is covered with
several thousand fine, short, hair-like
structures called cilia.

Some ciliates are sessile and remain

attached to a rock or other surface.
Their cilia set up water currents that
draw food towards them.
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 (4)Class: Sporozoa/Apicomplexans
1- LOCOMOTION: They lack specific
structures for locomotion but can move by
flexing of body wall (undulating
movement).
2- MODE OF NUTRITION: They all are
parasitic. Most of them live as intracellular
parasites in the host cells and cause many
diseases such as Malaria in man and
Coccidiasis in poultry.
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3- REPRODUCTION : Asexual by spores, a
small infective agent transmitted to the
next host. Sexual by Syngamy.
Many apicomplexans complete their life
cycle in two hosts.
4- NUCLEUS: Uninucleated.

5- Example :Plasmodium (malarial

parasite) and monocystis which lives
in the seminal vesicle of earthworm.
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 LIFE CYCLE OF
MALARIAL PARASITE
(PLASMODIUM)
 e lo n gs
ia is iu m b
Ma la r o d
d b y Plasm e phylum
ca u s e
m. to th d c la ss
o diu zo a an
Plasm Proto ozo a .
spor

o f y c le of
y c l e Life- c
Life-c m is o d i u m is
o d iu plasm
plasm tw o e d in t wo
in t
co m p le ted
nd comple s e x u al
a : a
M a
hosts: ophleles
n phases a n a nd
M
m a le An cycle in c le in
fe i to. a l c y
mo s q u s ex u t o .
mo s q u i
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 5- Class: Suctoria
1- LOCOMOTION: The adults are
sedentary and remain attached to the
substratum by stalks, but the young
individuals have cilia and swim about.

2- MODE OF NUTRITION: Complete

heterotroph as well as Predator.
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3- REPRODUCTION : Asexual by Budding.

4- NUCLEUS: Binucleated like

ciliates(Macro and Micro).

5- TENTACLES:The body bears cytoplasmic

tentacles which may be pointed to pierce
their prey or provided with adhesive knobs
to catch and hold the prey.
6- Example : ACENATA
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 SLO#7.3.3:
PATHOGENIC
PROTOZOAN AND
DISEASES
CAUSED BY THEM

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Thanks!
Any questions?

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