Notes –Single Cell Organisms
Questions
Notes/Explanations
What are all living things made up
of?
Cells, they are the smallest unit of structure and provide the function of all organisms.
New cells arise from preexisting cells.
What is the difference between
asexual and sexual reproduction?
Asexual Reproduction –generates offspring that are genetically identical to a single parent
Sexual Reproduction-two parents contribute genetic information to produce unique
offspring.
Amoebas are single-celled organisms
What are amoebas?
Amoebas live in water, including lakes, ponds, streams, rivers, and puddles.
Where do amoebas live?
What are three special features of
the amoebas?
1. They spend most of their time attached to the bottom or to plants.
2. All the amoebas of the same species will unattach from the bottom or plants and
float around until they land in a new place and re-attach
3. Amoebas are helpful when they control algae in ponds, lakes, and streams.
The most important part of an amoeba is the pseudopod
What is the most important part
of an amoeba?
The psuedopod is used to help the amoeba move, and also to eat.
What is the pseudopod used for?
How does the amoebas eat?
The amoeba stretches out the pseudopod, surrounds a piece of food, and pulls it into the
rest of the amoeba's body.
What do the amoebas eat?
Amoebas eat algae, bacteria, other protozoans, and tiny particles of dead plant or animal
matter.
How do amoebas reproduce?
explain in detail.
Amoebas reproduce (make more amoebas) by a process called binary fission. This means
that one amoeba can split in half and make two identical new amoebas.
It looks slimy, a lot like algae. Some people say it looks like "pea soup."
What does Euglena look like?
What are the 3 Special features of
the Euglena?
1. Euglena are interesting because they are a sort of combination of plant and
animal.
2. Some Euglena are green because they have chlorophyll from eating green algae
3. Euglena can make their own food like a plant, but they can also eat other things,
like an animal.
They use a flagellum to move, and the euglena uses it to swim.
How do the Euglenas move?
How and what does the Euglena
eat?
Explain how the euglena
reproduces and what type of
reproduction it is?
What are some characteristics of
the paramecium?
What are 3 special features of the
paramecium?
It has a red eyespot which located light, where it can make its own food. It also acts like
an animal and can eat other organisms such as amoeba and paramecium.
Euglena, it will complete a process called mitosis. That means it can split itself in half and
become two Euglena. It is asexual. It can only do this if it is well-fed and if the
temperature is right. Euglena can reproduce better in warm temperatures.
1. the most commonly observed protozoans
2. is an oval, slipper shaped micro-organism, rounded at the front/top and pointed
at the back/bottom
3. they live in aquatic environments, usually in stagnant, warm water
1. It has a slipper-like shape
2. It follows a spiral path while rotating on the long axis
3. It is known for its avoidance behavior. If it encounters a negative stimulus, it can
rotate up to 360 degrees to find an escape route
The paramecium swims by beating the cilia. The paramecium moves by spiraling through
the water
How does the paramecium move?
Paramecium feed on microorganisms like bacteria, algae, and yeasts
How does the paramecium eat?
1. Volvox are one-celled algae called ciliates that live together in a colony.
2. Volvox is found in ponds and ditches, and even in shallow rain puddles
What are two characteristics of
the volvox?
Volvox are freshwater algae and you will find them in colonies
What are three special features of
the volvox?
Each little algae within the colony holds two flagella, whip-like hair. The algae are
connected to each other by thin strands of cytoplasm which help the whole colony to
swim in a organized manner.
Explain in detail how the volvox
moves?
What are the three characteristics
of how the Volvox eats?
1. The volvox eat algae and many different kinds of plants.
2. Volvox also produce food by photosynthesis
3. To find its food the Volvox shifts through the water by using its
flagella.
Volvox cell reproduces asexually as well as sexually.
How does the volvox reproduce?