Protist Internet Lab
Name ________________
Go to http://sciencespot.net/Pages/kdzbiopond.html and click on “Smallest Page”
Recall that animals can move and are heterotrophs, plants are autotrophs, and fungi get their food
through absorption in order to answer the question “Are these organisms animal-like protists, plant-like
protists or fungus-like protists? Why are they in that group?”
Ciliates
1. What two things are cilia used for?
2. Why wouldn’t swimming like a fish be an efficient method of locomotion for something this tiny? What is
a more efficient method?
3. Ciliates reproduce asexually by fission. What does that mean?
4. Most animals (even humans) have cilia on certain cells. What purpose do cilia serve in humans?
5. Are these organisms animal-like protists, plant-like protists or fungus-like protists? Why are they in that
group?
Sun animalcules and amoebas
6. How does an amoeba move?
7. How does an amoeba reproduce?
8. Why can some amoeba get so large?
9. What is the long stiff projection used for in a Sun animalcule?
10. Are these organisms animal-like protists, plant-like protists or fungus-like protists? Why are they in that
group?
Desmids
11. What are desmids?
12. What is special about desmids shapes?
13. Desmids are green because they contain large, often folded __________________.
14. What organisms are desmids related to?
15. Are these organisms animal-like protists, plant-like protists or fungus-like protists? Why are they in that
group?
Diatoms
16. Diatoms make ___________ houses of ______________.
17. When and where do diatoms bloom? Where might you look for some diatoms in the spring?
18. Which group can really move around the best?
19. In the ocean, what do diatoms do?
20. Are these organisms animal-like protists, plant-like protists or fungus-like protists? Why are they in that
group?
Flagellated Protozoa
21. How does the flagella (undulipodia) work in a protozoa?
22. What does the contractile vacuole do?
23. The eyespot enables the protozoa to do what?
24. What happens to the euglenids if they lost their chloroplasts?
25. In warmer areas of the world, where can you find protists?
26. Protozoans are difficult to classify as animal-like protists, plant-like protists or fungus-like protists? Why
are they difficult to classify into one group?
Rotifers are animals but we often see them in pond water so if you have time, check them out!
Protist Internet Lab
http://sciencespot.net/Media/protistinternetlab.pdf
KEY
Go to http://sciencespot.net/Pages/kdzbiopond.html and click on “Smallest Page”
Ciliates
1. What two things are cilia used for? Feeding and locomotion
2. Why wouldn’t swimming like a fish be an efficient method of locomotion for something this tiny? What is
a more efficient method? When you are tiny, water acts like a thick syrup so swimming like a fish would
not be an efficient method of locomotion. If you want to swim fast and with maneuverability you need
cilia, tiny hairs acting like paddles.
3. Ciliates reproduce asexually by fission. What does that mean? The cell divides into two individuals.
4. Most animals (even humans) have cilia on certain cells. What purpose do cilia serve in humans?
To transport food particles or other material (in the trachea and intestines).
5. Are these organisms animal-like protists, plant-like protists or fungus-like protists? Why are they in that
group? Animal-like protists. They can move and they ingest food.
Sun animalcules and amoebas
6. How does an amoeba move? pseudopods
7. How does an amoeba reproduce? Cell division
8. Why can some amoeba get so large? Having many nuclei within their single cell
9. What is the long stiff projection used for in a Sun animalcule? Capturing prey
10. Are these organisms animal-like protists, plant-like protists or fungus-like protists? Why are they in that
group? Animal-like protists. They can move and they ingest food.
Desmids
11. What are desmids? Single celled green algae
12. What is special about desmids shapes? They have spectacular symmetrical shapes
13. Desmids are green because they contain large, often folded __________________. chloroplasts
14. What organisms are desmids related to? The algae that form pond scum
15. Are these organisms animal-like protists, plant-like protists or fungus-like protists? Why are they in that
group? Plant-like protists. They produce their own food using energy from the sun.
Diatoms
16. Diatoms make ___________ houses of ______________. Glass, silica
17. When and where do diatoms bloom? Where might you look for some diatoms in the spring?
They are most numerous in fresh water. They will cover surfaces of aquatic plants or poles and wooden
borders of ponds.
18. Which group can really move around the best?
Pennate diatoms can move in a slow gliding fashion in the direction of the length of the cell.
19. In the ocean, what do diatoms do?
They form the main part of phytoplankton, the photosynthetic organisms that float with the current.
20. Are these organisms animal-like protists, plant-like protists or fungus-like protists? Why are they in that
group? Plant-like protists. They produce their own food using energy from the sun.
Flagellated Protozoa
21. How does the flagella (undulipodia) work in a protozoa?
It acts like a propeller; wavy motions push or pull an organism in a forward direction.
22. What does the contractile vacuole do?
Helps the organisms to remove surplus water.
23. The eyespot enables the protozoa to do what?
It makes sure only light from one direction is detected. Since the light sensitive organ is directly connected
to the flagellum, Euglena is perfectly able to swim towards a light source.
24. What happens to the euglenids if they lost their chloroplasts?
If you would keep Euglenids in the dark they start feeding on organic matter and may lose their pigment.
25. In warmer areas of the world, where can you find protists? Inside the gut of termites live flagellated
protists that help the termites to digest wood.
26. Protozoans are difficult to classify as animal-like protists, plant-like protists or fungus-like protists? Why
are they difficult to classify into one group? Protozoans could be classified as plant-like protists because
they produce their own food using energy from the sun. They could be classified as animal-like protists
because they can move.