Dinoflagellates and Volvox Life Cycles

Unicellular algae that are a type of plankton, characterized by interlocking cellulose plates in their plasma membrane for structural support, two flagella for movement through water, and photosynthetic capabilities using chlorophyll and fucoxanthin.

Some dinoflagellates form symbiotic relationships with jellyfish, corals, and mollusks, where the dinoflagellate provides food (through photosynthesis) and the host organism protects it.

The life cycle of Volvox involves an inversion process, similar to gastrulation, where cells migrate from the exterior to the interior during development of the juvenile organism.

After the inversion, Volvox juvenile organisms continue to develop and are eventually released from the parental organism to mature into an independent individual.

The parent organism in Volvox, after reproduction, is made up of somatic cells and under goes programmed cell death.

Eukaryotic cells are more complex than prokaryotic cells, with a highly organized internal structure and specialized organelles.

The nucleus houses the cell's genetic material (DNA) and controls cellular activities.

Mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell, generating ATP (cellular energy) through oxidative phosphorylation.

Mitochondria have a double membrane, with an inner membrane containing folds (cristae) that increase its surface area.

Hydrogenosomes are energy-producing organelles found in some organisms lacking mitochondria, using a different metabolic pathway to create ATP.

Chloroplasts have a double membrane and contain chlorophyll in flattened disks (thylakoids) that form stacks (grana).

Chloroplasts are the sites of photosynthesis, where light energy is converted into chemical energy (glucose).

The endosymbiotic theory proposes that mitochondria and chloroplasts originated from free-living prokaryotic organisms.

Rough ER is studded with ribosomes and plays a role in protein synthesis and modification.

Smooth ER synthesizes lipids and steroids, and lacks ribosomes.

The Golgi complex modifies, sorts, and packages proteins for transport within or outside the cell.

Lysosomes are vesicles containing digestive enzymes to break down cellular waste and foreign material.

Peroxisomes are small organelles involved in various oxidation reactions, including the breakdown of fatty acids.

The cytoskeleton provides structural support and facilitates cell movement.

Flagella and cilia are hair-like structures that enable cell movement.

Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes.

Telomerase is an enzyme that maintains telomere length.

A type of yeast that reproduces by dividing unevenly, forming a protuberance (bud) on the parent cell.

A type of yeast that reproduces by dividing evenly, forming two new cells.

An organism that can survive with or without oxygen, using aerobic or anaerobic respiration.

Fungi that can exist in two forms: yeast-like and mold-like, often based on temperature.

Diverse organisms, unicellular or multicellular, typically aquatic, that perform photosynthesis, like plants.

Unicellular or filamentous algae with complex silica cell walls, often used in energy storage in the form of oil.

Unicellular algae that are part of plankton, with cellulose plates and two flagella for movement.

Algae that consists of a single cell, often engaging in both sexual and asexual reproduction.

Process where haploid cells of opposite mating types fuse to form a diploid zygote, which undergoes meiosis to produce haploid organisms.

Asexual and sexual life cycles that involve an inversion process of cells to produce juvenile individuals and a programmed cell death of parent.

A single-celled amoeba that forms a multicellular slug to reproduce, responding to nutrient depletion.

An enzyme that extends chromosome ends by synthesizing DNA using a complementary RNA template.

A surface protein crucial for cell-cell adhesion in D. discoideum aggregation stage.

Eukaryotic organisms can be diploid (2 copies per chromosome) or haploid (1 copy per chromosome), or both depending on the life cycle stage.

Mitosis is the process of cell division that replicates DNA and divides it equally among daughter cells; it can occur in both haploid and diploid cells.

A surface protein that further stabilizes cell-cell interactions in the D. discoideum aggregation.

Meiosis is a type of cell division that reduces the chromosome copy number by half, requiring two divisions, and often involving recombination events.

A surface protein displacing gp80, taking over adhesion during D. discoideum development's latter stages.

Yeast can switch between haploid and diploid stages, reproducing through mitosis in either stage, allowing genetic recombination during the diploid phase.

A mobile multicellular aggregation in D. discoideum that develops from amoebas, migrating towards light.

Cells in the anterior region of the D. discoideum slug differentiating into spore-producing structures.

Yeast strains switch mating types by recombination at the MAT locus, moving a mating gene next to a promoter region resulting in either 'a' or 'alpha' type.

Cells in the posterior region of the D. discoideum slug differentiating into stalk and basal disk structures.

Eukaryotic pre-mRNA consists of coding (exons) and non-coding (introns) regions.

The spliceosome is a complex that removes introns from pre-mRNA, forming a lariat structure.

Increased incidents of infectious diseases, including nosocomial infections, are linked with fungi.

Fungi significantly impact agriculture through plant pathogens, hindering crop yield.

Some introns act as ribozymes, catalyzing their own removal from pre-mRNA.

Fungi decompose dead matter and recycle essential nutrients, benefiting the environment.

Pre-mRNA is capped at the 5' end with 7-methylguanosine, crucial for translation initiation.

Pre-mRNA is polyadenylated at the 3' end, essential for translation stability and binding to proteins.

Symbiotic fungi that partner with most plants, enabling nutrient uptake.

Many fungi serve as food for animals, showcasing their role in the food chain.

Eukaryotic, single-celled organisms that are chemoheterotrophic, often found in water and soil, and exhibit diverse morphologies.

Protozoa reproduce asexually through binary fission, budding, or schizogony.

Some fungi produce antibiotics, which are valuable in fighting bacterial infections.

The body of a fungus, composed of long filaments (hyphae), potentially very long.

Paramecium exchange genetic material through conjugation, using two micronuclei.

Fungal hyphae separated by cross-walls into single, uninucleate cells.

Paramecium life cycle involves three nuclei: two micronuclei and one macronucleus, with micronuclei being involved in genetic exchange and meiosis and the macronucleus controlling daily functions.

Flagellated protozoa, some capable of photosynthesis (euglenoids), some pathogenic (hemoflagellates).

Fungal hyphae lacking cross-walls, forming a single multinucleated cell.

Fungal hyphae specializing in nutrient absorption.

Amoebas move using pseudopods.

Non-motile protozoa with specialized organelles for penetrating host tissues.

Fungal hyphae involved in reproduction, projecting above the growing surface.

Network of hyphae visible to the unaided eye, the interwoven body of the fungus.

Plasmodium life cycle involves multiple stages in both humans and insect vectors, requiring a complex process to be transmitted, exhibiting both sexual and asexual reproduction.

Insects receive gametocytes from the infected individual, transferring a zygote to the digestive tract that develops into an oocyst, creating sporozoites that migrate to the insects' salivary glands to be transmitted to another host.

A phylum of fungi including Rhizopus, known for coenocytic hyphae and a life cycle including sexual zygospores.

Eukaryotic organisms that can be either cellular (asexual) or plasmodial (asexual and sexual), with plasmodial forms having a mass of protoplasm with many nuclei.

Asexual reproduction via sporangiospores and sexual reproduction via zygospores in Rhizopus sp.

Sac fungi characterized by septate hyphae, asexual conidia, and sexual ascospores.

These slime molds exist in a large mass of protoplasm called a plasmodium, and they reproduce sexually and asexually.

Club fungi, with septate hyphae and basidiospores formed on basidia.

Oscillates between free-living myxamoebae and slug-like aggregates where cells differentiate to specific roles.

Unicellular fungi, either budding or fission types, vital in various applications.

A type of yeast that reproduces asexually by budding, where a new cell 'buds' off the parent.

A type of yeast that divides equally into two new cells.