Protozoan Notes PDF

# Notes - Protists We have already said that bacteria are prokaryotes or prokaryotic. What does this mean? No nucleus no membrane organelles Protists are mostly unicellular organisms but they are eukaryotes or eukaryotic. This means that they have a nucleus. Protists are neither plants nor animal...

# Notes - Protists We have already said that bacteria are prokaryotes or prokaryotic. What does this mean? No nucleus no membrane organelles Protists are mostly unicellular organisms but they are eukaryotes or eukaryotic. This means that they have a nucleus. Protists are neither plants nor animals, and they were once classified under their own kingdom called Protista. They are now divided into 4 "Supergroups". Protists are: 1. Mostly unicellular 2. Eukaryotic Protists can exist as either: 1. Heterotrophs (these are Animal-like) 2. Autotrophs (these are Plant-like) 3. Decomposers (these are Fungus-like) ## I. Protozoans (animal-like) These are: - Unicellular - Eukaryotic - Heterotrophs - They move Protozoans can be grouped by movement. ### 1. Sarcodines Sarcodinians - move around by extending cytoplasm or a "false foot" referred to as a pseudoped. Example: Amoeba An image shows a single celled amoeba. It is labelled "pseudopad" and "nucleus". ### 2. Zooflagellates Zooflagellates use whip-like extensions called flagella to propel themselves around. Example: *Trichmympha* (lives in the guts of termites and helps to digest cellulose in wood). *Trypanosama* (lives in tsetse fly and causes African Sleeping Sickness). An image shows a group of *Trypanosama*, which are long, thin, and pointed at each end. They have a nucleus and a flagellum. ### 3. Ciliaphorans - Also called Ciliates The largest group of protozoans. Their bodies are covered by tiny hair-like projections called cilia. Example: *Paramecium* An image shows a *Paramecium* with cilia located at the edges and at the sides. An image shows a close-up of a *Trypanosama* that is labelled with the following components: - flagellum - nucleus - undulating membrane - RBC An image shows two *Paramecium* on a slide. An image shows a blood smear with a number of red blood cells and *Trypanosama*. ### 4. Sporozoans These do not move; they are spore-forming Parasitic protozoans. They live by being parasites on or in animals. Can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Examples: *Plasmodium* (causes malaria) Immature sporozoans are called sporozoites and can be transmitted through fluids from one host to another. An image shows a blood smear with a number of red blood cells and *Plasmodium*. An image shows a *Paramecium* with the various component labelled: - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12