PROTISTS

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PROTISTS

• Protists include the most complex single-celled
  organisms on Earth.
• Long ago, microscopic one celled protists
  (nummalitids) lived in oceans. Their shells were
  the size of a coin.
• When they died, over time their shells turned
  into limestone, which many years later were used
  to build the great pyramids of Egypt.

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PROTISTS ARE A DIVERSE GROUP OF ORGANISMS

• MOST PROTISTS ARE SINGLE-CELLED
• PROTISTS GET THEIR ENERGY IN 3 WAYS (sunlight,
  eating other organisms absorbing
  nutrients/materials from environment)

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Most Protists single-celled

• Anoton van Leeuwenhoek looked at pond water (with
  early microscope) and saw little animacules or
  protists.
• Protists all organisms with cells having nuclei
  not in animal, plant or fungi kingdom. (most
  single celled but some have many cells with
  simple structures)
• Algae is protists that use sunlight as energy
  source (both single multi-cellular). Seaweed
  (like kelp growing over 100m) and diatoms are
  types of algae. Slime molds are also a
  mulit-cellular protist. Euglena sinlge cell
  protist.
• Protists live in any moist environment (fresh
  salt water, forest floor).

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Protists Get Energy In 3 Ways

• Capture sunlight and convert it to usable energy.
  
• Eat other organisms to obtain energy
• Absorb materials nutrients form its
  environment.
• Euglena (single-celled protist) can switch modes
  swim through ponds to absorb nutrients, or use
  sunlight to make own food

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PHOTOSYNTHESIS PROTIST

• ALGAE get energy from sunlight have chlorophyll
  like plants to do this. Take in H2O CO2 to make
  food release O2 (photosynthesis) DIATOMS are
  an ex.
• VOLVOX a bunch of algae cells living together in
  a hollow ball as a colony (simplest type of
  multicellular organism)
• PLANKTON all organisms that drift in water
  includes young of many animals, some adult
  animals protists. If perform photosynthesis,
  called phytoplankton (include algae
  cyanobacteria). Phytoplankton live in all oceans
  PRODUCE MOST OF OYGEN ANIMALS BREATHE!

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EATING PROTISTS

• PROTOZOA single celled protists that eat other
  organisms, or decaying parts of other organisms.
  Paramecium swim rapidly using hairlike cilia.
• Another group of protozoa use long whiplike tails
  called flagella.
• Some others are very flexable (amoebas) and ooze
  along surfaces.
• Many protists are parasites which cause disease
  like malaria. Due to protist living in mosquito
  that transfers to humans if bitten. It then goes
  through a life cycle that destroys red blood
  cells.

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DECOMPOSER PROTISTS

• Protists that absorb food from their environment
  can be called funguslike protists. Take in
  materials from soil or other organisms break
  down materials to get energy. Are called
  DECOMPOSERS.
• Mold make fuzzy like growth. Most are fungi
  (like bread mold) but are 3 types that are
  Protists
• Water Mold funguslike protist living mostly in
  fresh water form fuzzy growth on food
• SLIME MOLDS live on decaying plants on forest
  floor. Starts out eating bacteria as single cell.
  Then when food is scarce, clump together as
  multicellular colony absorbing nutrients.
  Finally, form reproductive structure to release
  spores into the air

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DECOMPOSER PROTISTS CONTINUED

• Plasmodial slime mold one giant cell with many
  nuclei. Looks like fine net, usually found on
  rotting logs.