Protists
Unicellular Adaptations
Protists
• Eukaryotic
– Membrane bound organelles; nucleus
• Live in water
• Most are unicellular
– Some are multicelluar (ex. algae)
• Autotrophic (make own food)
• Heterotrophic (cannot make own food)
Protists
• All reproduce asexually
– Mitosis or binary fission
• Some reproduce sexually
– conjugation
Protists
• Unicellular adaptations
– For better survival
Unicellular Adaptations
• Contractile Vacuole
• Help maintain homeostasis
– Hold and expel fluid (like a sponge)
Unicellular Adaptations
• Cilia
– Hair-like projections
– used for movement
and finding food
• Flagella
– Whip-like tail
– Used for movement
Unicellular Adaptations
• Pseudopods
– “false-foot”
– Extension of cytoplasm
– Used for movement
and eating food
Unicellular Adaptations
• Eyespot
– Light sensitive pigmented spot
– Detects light
Eyespots can also be
found in flatworms
Protists
• Can be:
1. Animal-like
2. Plant-like
3. Fungus-like
Animal-like Protists
• Protozoa
– Absorb and
gather/capture food
• Using flagella
• Ex. protozoa that causes
African sleeping
sickness
Animal-like Protist
• Sarcodines
– Use pseudopods to move and capture prey
• Ex. amoeba
Animal-like Protist
• Ciliates
– Move/eat by cilia
– Have oral groove and anal pore
• Ex. paramecium
Animal-like Protist
• Sporozoans
– Parasitic; reproduce by spores
• Ex. Plasmodium (malaria)
Plant-like Protist
• Algae
– Contains chlorophyll
– Photosynthetic
• Ex. Euglena – can make and consume food
Plant-like Protist
• Diatoms
– Various shapes, cell walls of silicon
– Used in toothpaste and face wash
– Used in forensics (drowned victims)
Plant-like Protist
• Dinoflagellates
– Have flagella
• Ex. one type causes red tide
Plant-like Protist
• Multicellular algae
– Green, brown, red
Fungus-like Protist
• Fungus-like
– Cell walls, absorb nutrients, reproduce by spores
• Ex. Slime molds
Fungus-like Protist
• Water molds
– Ex. Phytophthora infestans
– Cause of Irish potato famine (1849-1852)