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!