KINGDOM

PROTISTA
1
 Introduction
Protists are …
• usually known as the Protista or Protoctista
• But have characteristics of both plants and animals
– Like plants, protists can make their own food
(photosynthesis)
– Like animals, protists can move around
• Unlike plants and animals, however, protists do not
have cells organized into specialized tissues
• All protists are eukaryotes (cells contain a nucleus),
more complex than any procaryotes
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3
…cont’d

• Protists vary greatly in size and shape;

0.01 mm to 65 m (Giant kelps)
• Autotrophic, heterotrophic and mixotrophic
• They show mitosis, meiosis and simplest
type of sexual
• they inhabit many different environments
(mostly aquatic) - fresh water, seawater,
soils, and the intestinal tracts of animals

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 This Kingdom contains from 20 to
50 distinct Phyla ..!
Phylum Acrasiomycota Phylum Chrysophyta Phylum Euglenophyta Phylum Rhizopoda
(Cellular Slime Molds) (Golden Algae) (Euglenoids) (Amoebas)

Phylum Chromista Phylum Foraminifera Phylum Rhodophyta

Phylum Actinopoda
(Forams) (Red Algae)

Phylum Myxomycota
Phylum Ciliophora Phylum Zoomastigophora
Phylum Apicomplexa (Plasmodial Slime
(Ciliated Protozoans) (Zooflagellates)
Molds)

Phylum Bacillariophyta Phylum Dinoflagellata Phylum Oomycota

(Diatoms) (Dinoflagellates) (Water Molds)

Phylum Chlorophyta Phylum Diplomonada Phylum Phaeophyta

(Green Algae) (Archezoa) (Brown Algae)

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 Classification

Based on similarities to the higher kingdoms,

can be subdivided into :-
– Ingestive protist (animal-like) - protozoa
– Photosynthetic (plant-like) - algae
– absorptive (fungi-like) - slime moulds and
water moulds.

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Protozoa (animal-like):
• are mostly single-celled
• motile protists feed by phagocythosis
• only 0.01-0.5 mm in size
• Locomotor Organelles are: Pseudopodia, Cilia
and Flagella.
• Food particles are digested internally
• Contractile vacuoles are organelles involved in
expelling water from their cytoplasm (regulation
of the osmotic pressure)
• Reproduction mostly asexual (ie binary fission),
some sexually reproduce
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8
 Locomotion
• is by pseudopodia, flagella or cilia

1. Cilia
– Microscopic hair like
projections extending
from the surface of a
cell or unicellular
organism.
– act in the movement of
the cell or of the
surrounding medium
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10
2. Flagella
– A long, threadlike appendage
– found single or in pairs.

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 Chrysophytes
bacterial flagellum

12
Chlamydomonas
Salmonella Typhi Bacteria
3. Pseudopodia
– A temporary projection of the cytoplasm
of certain cells, such as amoebas.
– pseudopodia = ‘false foot’

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14
• Based on locomotion, protozoa are grouped
into:
– Amoeboids protozoa with transient
pseudopodia e.g.,Amoeba
– Flagellated protozoa with one or multiple
flagella e.g., Chlamydomonas
– Ciliates protozoa with multiple, short cilia e.g.,
Paramecium
– Sporozoa non-motile parasites; form spores e.g.,
Plasmodium

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 Phylum Ciliophora
. (cilliated protozoa)

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 BASIC STRUCTURE
 the most highly specialized and
complicated protozoa
 are characterized by their numerous cilia
 use cilia to move and feed
 Cilia are relatively short when compared to
flagella
 Some ciliates have rows of ciliates
 has no cell wall
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 This phylum includes the slipper-shaped
paramecium and the trumpet-shaped stentor.

18
 ..cont.
 The Ciliophora having two
different types of nuclei in
their cells.
 The large macronucleus
macronucleus
is specialized for protein
synthesis of the cell. micronucleus

 The much smaller

micronucleus is involved
in reproductive
activities.

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 Cilliates usually feed on bacteria or other protists
 Other features include:
 a cell "mouth" for food entrance to waiting digestive
vacuoles
 contractile vacuoles to get rid of excess water,
maintains the cell's shape, also allows flexibility in
movement.
 have a primitive form of sexual reproduction
called conjugation in which genetic material is
mutually exchanged (e.g. Paramecium).

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21
 Phylum Sarcodina
.
(Ameoboid protozoa)

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BASIC STRUCTURE
 Sarcodines are
lacking any
structure, but
most have shells
• class foraminiferans
possess calcareous
shells (they are
made of CaCO3).
• Class radiolarians
and heliozoans also
have shells (but
theirs contain silica)
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A heliozoan
(shell contains silica)

A foramineran
(shell made of CaCO3)

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25
MOVEMENT
 Sarcodines move
with the use of a
psuedopodia

 psuedopodia known as
a “false foot”

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 NUTRITION
 Phagocytosis: process of engulfing
their prey (absorption)
 Digest by digestion
enzymes.
 Food egested
ameba food
(expelled) from
vacuoles

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REPRODUCTION

 Divide by Binary
Fission. Produce
2
daughter cells
 Nucleus by
Mitosis

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 DISTRIBUTION
 Usually live in moist places
 Some live in saltwater
environments (class
foraminiferans and radiolarians)
 Heliozoans live in freshwater

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 The most popular
sarcodines…
 Kingdom:Protista
Phylum: Sarcodina
Class:Tubulinea
Order:Tubulinida
Family:Amoebidae
Genus: Amoeba
Species: ?

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.
Phylum Mastigophora
(flagellated protozoa)

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the most primitive type of protozoans
one or more flagella (to move)
single-celled
reproduction is usually by asexual binary
fission (is analogous to the division
process in bacteria)
Example of Mastigophora:
 Chlamydomonas
 Volvox
 Euglena

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Chlamydomonas
are small flagellates
range in size from 10-
30 um in diameter.
They have an eyespot
which allows them to
gravitate toward light.
They are found in quiet
waters and moist soil.

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Euglena
are 35-55 um long
have one active flagellum, a
reddish eye spot and numerous
chloroplasts.
They exhibit both plant and
animal characteristics.
There are over 100 different
species of Euglena.

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Euglena are also able to distort their body
to change direction. This distortion is
called Euglenoid motion.

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Some mastigophora are parasites and can cause
disease
 e.g. Trypanosoma sp.

African sleeping sickness is caused by T. brucei

(T.b. gambiense, T.b. rhodesiense, T. b. brucei)
 The two species of flagellates transmitted by

biting flies known as tse-tse flies

Trypanosoma
in blood
smear 36
Chagas disease (American
trypanosomiasis) – cause by T. cruzi
transmit by a “kissing bugs”

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. Phylum Sporozoa
(parasitic protozoa)

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 Also known as phylum Apicomplexa
 Sporozoans are nonmotile (because no cilia
and flagella)
 unicellular protists
 parasitic on vertebrate animals.
 best known sporozoan is
Plasmodium vivax that cause malaria
 Toxoplasma gondii cause toxoplasmolisis and
encephalitis (inflammation of the brain)

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Plasmodium vivax

Anopheles mosquito
taking a blood meal,
this is how a human
becomes infected with
plasmodium malaria
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Toxoplasma gondii
 Toxoplasma gondii
host is cat but can
also be carried by
humans
 It causes the disease
toxoplasmosis which
can have fatal effects

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Plant-like protists

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 Algae (plant-like):
 gather light energy through
photosynthesis
 Freshwater and marine (some in corals)
 Can cause red tide
 Includes members of the following
groups:
 Chlorophyta (green algae), related to higher
plants
 Rhodophyta (red algae)
 Heterokontophyta (brown algae, diatom)
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 GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
OF ALGAE
 Size from microscopic single-celled
organisms to large seaweeds
 Algae are AUTOTROPHIC Protists- they are
called Plant-like because they perform
photosynthesis.
 like plants, Algae contain chlorophyll and
produce their own Carbohydrates and giving
off Oxygen in Photosynthesis
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 different from plants because they
lack tissue differentiation, NO true
roots, leaves or stems.
 reproductive structures of algae also
differ from those of plants
 they form Gametes in Single- Celled
GAMETANGIA (for plants, gametes are
multicellular)

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 Despite their diversity, different kinds of algae have some
things in common
 Most Algae are AQUATIC


Most have FLAGELLA at some point in their life cycle.
 FOUR types of algae based on Body Structures:
 Unicellular algae
 Multicellular algae
 Collonial algae
 Fillamentous algae

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1. UNICELLULAR ALGAE

 A structure that consists of a

Single Cell
 most are Aquatic Organisms, and
form the phytoplankton
 They produce are among the major
producers of Oxygen in the
Atmosphere

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2. COLONIAL ALGAE

 Have a structure that

consists of Groups of Cells
acting in a coordinated
manner.
 This allows Colonial algae to
move, feed, and reproduce
efficiently

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3.FILAMENTOUS ALGAE

 Rod-shaped (composed of rows of

cells joined end to end)
 Some have specialized structures
(Holdfast) that anchor their body to
the ocean bottom

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4. MULTICELLULAR ALGAE

 Have a large, complex body.

 The Leaf-like thallus may be several
centimeters wide but only two cells thick.
 Some have rubbery leaf like portions,
stem-like regions, and enlarged air
bladders

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 TAXONOMIC
CLASSIFICATION
 In general, algae are classified into Seven
Phyla, based on their
 Color,
 Type of Chlorophyll,
 Form of Food Storage Substance, and
 Cell Wall Composition

 All known Phyla contain the light absorbing

Photosynthetic Pigment Chlorophyll a.
 In Aquatic habitats, Algae have the same basic
role as plants on land - that of PRODUCERS
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 SEVEN COMMON PHYLA OF ALGAE
PHOTOSYNTHETIC FORM OF FOOD CELL WALL
PHYUM BODY PORTION
PIGMENTS STORAGE COMPOSITION
Unicellular,
Polysaccharides,
Chlorophyta Colonial, Chlorophylls a and b,
Starch Primarily
(Green Algae) Filamentous n’ Carotenoids
Cellulose
Multicellular
Chlorophylls a and c,
Phaeophyta Laminarin (an oily Cellulose with
Multicellular Carotenoids,
(Brown Algae) carbohydrate) Algin Acid
Fucoxanthin
Cellulose or
Chlorophylls a,
Rhodophyta Pectin, many with
Multicellular Phycobilins, Starch
(Red Algae) Calcium
Carotenoids
Carbonate
Mostly Chlorophylls a and c,
Bacillariophyta Leucosin (an oily Pectin, many with
Unicellular, Carotenoids,
(Diatoms) carbohydrate) Silicon Dioxide
Some Colonial Xanthophyll
Dinoflagellata Chlorophylls a and c,
Unicellular Starch Cellulose
(Dinoflagellates) Carotenoids
Mostly Chlorophylls a and c,
Chrysophyta Laminarin (an oily
Unicellular, Xanthophyll, Cellulose
(Golden Algae) carbohydrate)
Some Colonial Carotenoids
Chlorophylls a and No Cell Wall,
Euglenophyta Paramylon (a
Unicellular b,Carotenoids, Protein-rich52
(Euglenoids) Starch)
Xanthophyll Pellicle
GROUPS OF PLANT-
LIKE PROTIST
 Chlorophyta: green algae - 7000 species
 Phaeophyta: brown algae - 1500 species
 Rhodophyta: red algae - 4000 species
 Chrystophyta: golden algae- 6650 species
 Dinoflagellata : fire algae - 1100 species
 Euglenophyta : Euglena – 1000 species

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 Phylum
.
Chlorophyta
(Green Algae)

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Chlorophyta: Green Algae

 Contain photosynthetic pigments: chlorophylls a

and b and carotenoids
 store carbohydrate as starch
 cell walls are made of cellulose
 Can be unicellular, colonial, filamentous,
membranous, or tubular
 Exhibit both asexual and sexual reproduction
 Freshwater and marine
 A few types are terrestrial (on moist soil, the trunks of
trees, moist rocks)
 Some species are highly specialized (living
exclusively on turtles, or within the gill mantles of
marine mollusks)

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 Chlorophyta: Green Algae
 Extremely diverse groups of
algae, from unicellular to
complex micro-algae

Examples of chlorophyta
 Chlamydomonas -
unicellular
 Spirogyra - filamentous,
non-branching
 Cladophora - filamentous,
branching
 Volvox - colonial, forming
a spherical colony
 Ulva - colonial, forming a
flat sheet

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 Ulva

Volvox
•A single colony may consist
of over 500 cells (each one
Spyrogyra
with a tiny pair of flagella)
• all cells undulating their
flagella together, to move the
colony through the water

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Evolutionary path towards land plants

 Each of cell in a Volvox colony

similar with the biflagellated cell of
Chlamydomonas.
 From evolution view, is likely that
Volvox evolved from unicellular
green algae, Chlamydomonas
 The structure of Volvox and
Chlamydomonas also similar with
many of multicellular algae and
certain plants

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http://www.arches.uga.edu/~kankoku/phaeophytaevolution.html

•Some algal features

also same with plants-
cellulose cell walls,
starch food storage
and chloroplast
•The similar features
suggest that green
algae gave rise to the
first plants
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 Chlorophyta: Green Algae
Green algae as food
supplements…
 Genus Chlorella
 members of this genus
are non-motile
 Single-celled algae; are
widespread in aquatic
habitats and in soil
 only reproduce asexually
 lack flagella
 have eyespots,
contractile vacuoles, and
a very small nucleus
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 Phylum
Phaeophyta
.

(Brown Algae)

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Phaoephyta: Brown Algae

 Marine tidal zone to 75 feet deep in temperate waters

 Sizes to 100 feet
 Color: brown to olive brown
 Pigments: Chlorophyll a and Fucoxanthin (gives
their brown colour)
 food they produce is stored as LAMINARIN, a
Carbohydrate
 All multicellular

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Phaoephyta: Brown Algae
 Have specialized structures:
 HOLDFAST that anchor the Thallus to rocks
 AIR BLADDERS that causes the leaflike portion to
float
 Economic importance of brown algae:
 Fertilizer
 Food - esp. Japan
 Source of Algin (especially Giant kelp)- as
stabilizer & moisture retainer in many products such
as ice cream, cake frosting, paint, pharmaceutials &
processing of natural & synthetic rubber

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Examples Laminaria (left)
and Nereocystis (right)

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Macrocystis pyrifera
(Giant Kelps)

Divers in between of
Giant kelps

air bladders of a
Giant kelp
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 Phylum
Rhodophyta
. (Red Algae)

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Rhodophyta (Red Algae)

 Most are multicellular (some unicellular)

 Filamentous seaweeds, live in deeper
waters
 Carbohydrate storage is Floridean
Starch
 Photosynthetic pigments: Chlorophylls a
& d, Phycobilins (specialized for trapping
light in deep water), and Carotenoids
 Their cell walls contain Cellulose and
Pectin, many with Calcium Carbonate
(attach with corals)

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 RED ALGAE

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 Uses..
 As carrageenan, a gel used in the production
of Cosmetics, Gelatin Capsules, and some
types of Cheese (Kappaphycus sp. and other
Gigartinales)
 Agar (from genus Gelidium, Pterocladia and
Gracilaria) used as a gel-forming base for
culturing microbes in petri dish, and as a
thickening agent in making jelly
 Species of Porphyra (Japanese name ‘nori’) used for
wrapping sushi

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 Agars from
the Rhodopyta

Nori

Kappaphycus line
culture
in the Philippines 70
 Phylum
. Chrysophyta
(Golden algae)

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Chrysophyta (Golden algae)

 Golden algae
 Also known as phylum Chromophyta
 Major storage: laminarin (an oily
carbohydrate)
 Most are unicellular, filamentous and
colonial form
 Grow in aquatic habitats and moist soil
 Contain chlorophylls a and c, carotenoid
and xanthophyll
 cell walls: Cellulose

72
Chrysophyta (Golden algae)
Examples of golden algae…
 Dynobryon and Synura may cause foul
water tastes

Synura

Dynobryon 73
 Phylum
Bacillariophyta
.

(Diatoms)

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 Diatoms are unicells with cell wall made of silicon
dioxide
 circular or oblong cells
 Photosynthetic- major producer of oxygen in water
 make up much of the plankton (food for aquatic
organisms)
 Food storage are chrysolaminarin (leucosin)
 Economic importance:
 Huge deposits of diatoms (up to 3000 feet thick) are

mined to make filters in sugar refining and aquariums,

major component of many detergents, paint removers,
fertilizers and some toothpaste

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 Variety
shapes of
diatoms

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 Phylum
Pyrrhophyta
(dinoflagellates)

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Pyrrhophyta (dinoflagellates)

 Also known as Dinoflagellata or

dinophyta
 contains 1,100 species of organisms
 Unicellular
 Contain chlorophylls a and c, carotenoids,
and xanthophylls
 Most are Photosynthetic. But few species
are Heterotrophic (ingest other cell)

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 Pyrrhophyta (dinoflagellates)

 Most are marine organisms (few are

freshwater dwellers)
 Their flagella and protective coats are
distinctive
 Most have two perpendicular flagella

that function in a manner that causes

organism to spin

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 Example- species Noctiluca or ‘seasparkles’:

 can produce BIOLUMINESCECE, a display of sparkling light often seen

in the ocean at night.
 This species also produce toxins and red pigments.
 They turn the water brownish red when their populations explode,
resulting in a phenomenon known as RED TIDE. Shellfish that feed on
this species, are dangerous for humans to eat

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Noctiluca

Red tide

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Euglenophyta
(Euglena)

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Euglenophyta (Euglena)

 Subphylum of mastigophora
 unicellular aquatic algae
 Most live in freshwater; many have
flagella and are motile.
 Some euglenoids contain
photosynthetic pigments chlorophyll a
and b
 Heterotrophic and can ingest or absorb
their food

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Euglenophyta (Euglena)

 Food is stored as paramylon

 Reproduction occurs by longitudinal cell
division.
 The outer part of the cell consists of a firm
but flexible layer called a pellicle, or
periplast, which cannot properly be
considered a cell wall
 The most common genus is Euglena

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 Fungus-like protists:
 originally treated as fungi, because
they produce sporangia
 They are saprobe decomposers (live
off dead plant and animal tissue)
 Some are parasites (associate with
living organisms in muddy or aquatic
habitats).
 Bright colors
 Includes slime molds, water molds,
and Labyrinthulomycetes.

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Slime molds

86
Fungi-like Protists
Groups:
 SLIME MOLDS
 WATER MOLDS

87
 SLIME MOLDS
 have Shiny and Wet
Appearance, a Texture like
Gelatin, and look more like a
Fungus
 Most are DECOMPOSERS (get
nutrient from dead organims)
 Distribution: Damp soil, rotting
woods, decaying leaves, or
other decomposing organic
matter in moist places.
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 Two groups of Slime Molds
 Cellular Slime Molds (Phylum
Acrasiomycota) spend most of
their lives as separate single-
celled
 Plasmodial Slime Molds
(Phylum Myxomycota) are
enormous single cells with
thousands of nuclei

 Some part of their lives are

mobile (engulfing food much
as amoeba)
 also produce Fungus-like
reproductive structures
89
  Cellular slime molds are
sluglike, but the cells
within it differentiate in
to a reproductive stalk.

 Plasmodial
slime molds
often grow as
encrusting
structures that
may be several
centimeters
across 90
A. Lycogala epidendrum,
B. Comatricha typhoides
C. Badhamia utricularia
D. Dictydium cancellatum 91
 WATER MOLDS
(PHYLUM OOMYCOTA)
 a funguslike protists that compose of
branching filaments of cells
 are decomposers or parasites
 grow in fresh water on decaying
plants and animals
 Rusts and Mildews are also
considered Water Molds
 Reproduce asexually and sexually

92
 Famous water molds..

 Phytophthora infestans :
 damaging potato crops (BLIGHT) in
the 19th century and killed nearly 2
million people
 Plasmopara viticola infects plants:
 causes the grape leaves to die
 also infect vegetables and other
fruits

93
Phytophthora
infestans
damaging Irish
potato crops
(BLIGHT)

Plasmopara viticola

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