Kingdom Protista “The Odd Man Out”

Structure

·   Eukaryotic

·   Most single celled

·   Mostly sexual reproduction (meiosis)

·   Gave rise to fungi/plants/animals

o Oldest fossils of eukaryotic cells are 1.5 billion years old (may have arisen 2.1 billion years ago)

3 Groups

1.   Animal Like – motile, ingest food

a.   Sarcodines

i.Amoeba proteus

ii.           Ponds/lakes/ fresh water

iii.          Pseudopods

iv.          Vacuoles

b.   Ciliates

i.Cilia

ii.           Fresh/salt water or in host animals

iii.          Paramecium cautatum

1.   pellicle

2.   trichocysts

c.   Flagellates

i.1+ flagella

ii.           Trypanosoma

iii.          Euglena sp.

2.   Plant Like – non-motile

a.   Photosynthesis

b.   Algae, Plankton, Seaweed

3.   Fungus Like

a.   Dark/shady habitats

b.   Slime molds

c.   Rotting logs, leaves

d.   Absorb food