Biology 20
Protists have several different methods of locomotion (moving around), and our goal in this class is to explore the 3 major types of protist locomotion.
Protists with Flagella (ex: Euglena)
Flagellum – a tail like structure that helps unicellular organisms swim. It flaps around allowing
the euglena to travel
Photoreceptor – allows the protist to detect light
Nucleus – the control center of the cell
Chloroplast – the photosynthetic organelle of the protist cell
Contractile vacuole – excretes excess water and waste
Reservoir – used for storage by the euglena

Biology 20
Protists with Cilia (example: Paramecium)
Cilia – used for locomotion in the paramecium. Cilia beat rhythmically to allow the
paramecium to move.
Oral groove – food is swept into it by the cilia
Gullet – food travels here from the oral groove, and gets stored in food vacuoles
Food vacuoles – storage tools for food
Contractile vacuole – excreting excess water and waste
Endoplasm – thick layer of cytoplasm that fills the cell
Ectoplasm – thin layer of cytoplasm under the cell membrane

Biology 20
Protists with Pseudopods (Ex: Amoeba)
Pseudopod – used for locomotion as well as nutrition in the amoeba. Pseudopod is a word for
“fake foot.” A temporary extension of the cytoplasm flows outward and forms a bulge, then pulls the remainder of the cell towards it.
Digestive vacuole – used to digest food in the amoeba
Ectoplasm – thin layer of cytoplasm under the cell membrane
Endoplasm – thick layer of cytoplasm that fills the cell
Cell membrane – semi-permeable membrane surrounding the cell
Contractile vacuole – used for excreting excess water and waste