Kingdom Protista PDF
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Uploaded by ProdigiousJadeite930
University of Ottawa
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Summary
These notes describe protists, a diverse group of eukaryotic organisms, including their characteristics, reproduction methods, and roles in ecosystems. They highlight examples such as phytoplankton, corals, and malaria, emphasizing the declining phytoplankton population and the impact of warming ocean temperatures. The notes also touch on symbiotic relationships and parasitism.
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Kingdom Protista Protists first appeared in fossil record approximately 1.5 billion years ago (after bacteria) What is common between them? Not much…they are eukaryotic (have a distinct nucleus and membrane bound organelles) and they don’t fit into other groups Most are microscopic and unicel...
Kingdom Protista Protists first appeared in fossil record approximately 1.5 billion years ago (after bacteria) What is common between them? Not much…they are eukaryotic (have a distinct nucleus and membrane bound organelles) and they don’t fit into other groups Most are microscopic and unicellular BUT some are multicellular (ex. kelp/seaweed) Because protists are a group of eukaryotes that are not fungi, animals, or plants, it is therefore a kingdom composed of a very diverse group of organisms. Some are autotrophs and obtain energy through photosynthesis; most are heterotrophs Most live in water; some are found living in tissues of other organisms Most reproduce asexually, through binary fission (like bacteria); a few reproduce sexually by exchanging gametes (sex cells); and a few reproduce through fragmentation (body simply breaks apart) Most can move Pseudopods (extension of cytoplasm like a stream for movement) Flagella and cilia (little hairs that act like oars or a tail that whips) Phytoplankton are microscopic algae that live in marine ecosystems, producing ~ half of Earth’s oxygen. Their population is declining ~ 1% each year due to warming ocean temperatures The water is also becoming more acidic (due to absorbing more carbon dioxide which has increased with the anthropogenic greenhouse effect) which may interfere with protists ability to make protective shells. Corals rely on zooanthellae that live within their bodies and they are losing their chlorophyll pigment = bleached corals. (symbiotic relationship) Malaria is an example of a parasitic protist Plasmodium are transferred in the bite of the Anopheles mosquitoes (they can only live in tropical climates). If average global temperatures are increasing….what could this mean for malaria? Malaria "elimination" in Belize
