Download Protists

Protists:
 The Kingdom Protista is a diverse group of
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organisms.
Most protists are unicellular organisms – meaning
they are made of only one cell.
Being made of only one cell, protists lack nerve and
muscle cells, as well as tissues and organs.
All protists are eukaryotes, organisms that have
cells with a nucleus and organelles.
Most unicellular protists are microscopic.
Many are described as animal-like because they do
not make their own food and can move
independently.
Euglena:
 Euglena is a unicellular protist that has
characteristics of plants and animals.
 It is like an animal because it can move freely and
feeds on other organisms.
 It is like a plant because it also has the ability to
make its own food.
 A Euglena contains chloroplasts that serve as the
site for photosynthesis.
 The eyespot of a Euglena is sensitive to light and
once light is detected it moves towards it for
photosynthesis.
 The long whip-like structure is a flagellum that
quickly moves back and forth the propel the
Euglena through water.
Amoeba:
 An amoeba is a unicellular protist.
 They are animal-like because they are capable of
movement and feed on other organisms.
 Amoebas move with structures called pseudopods
(fake foot), which is an extension of the cytoplasm.
 An amoeba pushes a pseudopod forward and the
rest of the cell follows behind.
 Amoebas feed on things by engulfing them, where
their cytoplasm surrounds the food, then engulfs
and digests it.
 Since they live in water, amoebas contain a
structure called a contractile vacuole that collects
extra water and expels it if too much were to enter
the cell.
Paramecium:
 Paramecium is a unicellular protist and completely
covered in tiny hairs called cilia.
 Cilia quickly sweep back and forth to propel the
Paramecium through water.
 The Paramecium moves and feeds on bacteria and
algae with the help of a structure called an oral
groove.
 Parameciums also have a contractile vacuole that
pumps excess out of the cell to prevent the cell from
bursting.
Volvox:
 Volvox is a unicellular protist that has chloroplasts
and can carry out photosynthesis.
 A Volvox does not live alone, but lives in a group
known as a colony consisting of several thousand
Volvox’s.
 The entire colony has two small flagella that are
used to propel the colony through water.
PROTIST
STRUCTURE LOCOMOTION FOOD
(movement)
SOURCE
SEPCIALIZED
CELL
STRUCTURES
Euglena
Unicellular
Flagellum
Eyespot
Amoeba
Unicellular
Pseudopods
Paramecium
Unicellular
Cilia
Volvox
Unicellular
(lives in
colonies)
2 Flagella for
colony
Feeds on
other
organisms;
can make
own food
Feeds on
other
organisms
Feeds on
other
organisms
Makes food
Contractile
vacuole
Oral groove
and contractile
vacuole
Lives in a
colony.