Classifying Protists
Are protists prokaryotic or eukaryotic?
Eukaryotic
Why are spores useful for sporozoites?
They allow for survival and reproduction in challenging conditions.
What is a colony?
A group of individual cells living in close proximity.
What two groups can slime molds be divided into?
Cellular and acellular
What is chlorophyll?
A photosynthetic pigment that results in a green color.
What are the 3 categories of protists?
Plant-like
Animal-like
Fungus-like
What are ciliates?
Organisms with many cilia, hair-like projections that aid in movement
How are algae similar to and different from plants?
Similar: they have photosynthetic pigments
Different: they do not have roots, leaves, or other structures typical of plants
Why are some slime molds called acellular?
They go through a phase in their life cycle where the nucleus divides but no internal cell walls form, resulting in a mass of cytoplasm with multiple nuclei.
What is the most plant-like type of algae?
Green algae
What is the scientific term for animal-like protists?
Protozoans
What is the function of a trichocyst in paramecia?
Spinelike structures used in defense
What type of plant-like algae can be bioluminescent?
Dinoflagellates
What are two characteristics that fungus-like protists have in common with fungi?
Slime molds and fungi use spores to reproduce, feed on decaying matter, and absorb nutrients through their cell walls.
How many hosts are required for the malaria life cycle?
2: mosquito and human
Give one example of a symbiotic relationship involving protists.
A microsporidium is a unicellular protist that parasitizes insects
Green algae grow on sloths, providing camouflage
What structure do amoebas use for movement?
Pseudopods
Explain what causes red tides and why they can be harmful to humans.
A particular type of dinoflagellate algal bloom is a red tide.
Red tides can be a serious threat to humans and the ecosystem because the dinoflagellate involved produces a toxin.
The toxin is ingested by shellfish, which are then ingested by humans.
What major historical event was caused by a species of fungus-like protist, Phytophthora infestans?
Irish potato famine
What type of plant-like protists store food as oil, which makes them buoyant, and have cell walls composed of silica? (Hint: they are used to kill insects)
Diatoms
Classify the three categories of protists based on the way they obtain nutrients.
Plant-like: autotrophic
Animal-like: heterotrophic
Fungus-like: heterotrophic
What type of protozoan is responsible for American sleeping sickness and African sleeping sickness?
Which type of plant-like protists helps coral reefs bind together?
Red algae
What is a fruiting body?
A structure that produces spores
What type of protist has characteristics of both plants and animals?
Euglenoids