Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary
Partnership between Educators and Researchers for
Enhancing Classroom Teaching
(GK-12 PERFECT)
Funding source:
National Science Foundation GK-12 grant no. DGE-0840804
Slime Molds
Slime mold video 1.
Slime mold video 2.
KINGDOM PROTISTA
Characteristics of Protista
• Nucleus with DNA and more than 1 chromosome
• Most have other organelles (mitochondria, endoplasmic
reticulum, Golgi bodies, etc.)
• Reproduce by mitosis and/or meiosis
Parabasalids & Diplomonads
• Evolutionarily “primitive” eukaryotes
– Poorly developed mitochondria and fewer
organelles
• Flagellated
• Includes symbionts and parasites living in
low O2 environments
– Giardia
Euglenoids & Kinetoplastids
Thick, reinforced
flagellum
• Euglena
– Fresh and marine
– Mostly autotrophs
with chloroplasts
• Kinetoplastids
– Mostly parasites
– African sleeping sickness
Forams & Radiolarians
• Both are mainly heterotrophs
(most are marine)
• Foraminiferans
– Calcium carbonate shells
– Benthic (bottom dwelling) &
planktonic
• Radiolarians
– Silica shells
– Planktonic
Alveolates
• Alveoli small membrane
bound sacs
beneath the
plasma
membrane
Alveolates (ciliates)
• Aquatic
• Large component of the
microzooplankon
(< 200 mm)
• Loricate (shell) and
aloricate forms
Alveolates (flagellates)
• Apicomplexans (malaria)
• Dinoflagellates
– Responsible for many
harmful algal blooms
– Marine and freshwater
– Autotrophs, heterotrophs
and mixotrophs
– Cellulose plate covering
– 2 flagella
– Bioluminescent forms
Stramenopiles
• Unique “bristled”
flagella
• Most are autotrophs
(photosynthetic)
• Chrysophytes –
mostly phytoplankton
• Brown algae –
kelp/seaweeds
Chrysophytes
Coccolithophorids
• Calcium carbonate
shells (coccoliths)
• Mainly marine
Chrysophytes
Diatoms
• Silica shells
• Important marine and
freshwater phytoplankton
Brown algae
Red and Green algae
•
•
•
•
Various “seaweeds”
Mainly multicellular
Marine and freshwater
Include closest relatives to land plants
Amoebozoa
• Closest relatives
to animals and
fungi
• Includes single
celled amoebas
and slime molds
Some more on HABs
HAB video 1.
HAB video 2.
Interesting tidbits
More on slime molds.
Interesting tidbits
• If the smallest protist were size of a BB,
what object might approximate the size of
the largest?
Interesting tidbits
• Answer: approximately 13 Goodyear
Blimps stacked end to end - largest would
be ½ mile diameter
• Largest protist – 20 cm test (shell)
• Smallest protist – some phytoplankton 1 mm
diameter
• http://www.sizes.com/natural/protists.htm