Ch. 28 Learning Objectives

CHAPTER 28
PROTISTS
Learning objectives:
The Diversity of Protists
1. Explain why the kingdom Protista is no longer considered a legitimate taxon.
Recent discoveries of minuscule and more diverse protists have found that some protists are more
closely related to plants, animals, or fungi than to other protists. Now the kingdom "Protista" has been
abandoned and various lineages of protists have become kingdoms in their own right. The term protist is now
used mostly as a convenient way to refer to eukaryotes that are not plants, animals, or fungi. "Protista is
paraphyletic, not monophyletic."
Protista polyphyletic: some protists are more closely related to plants, fungi or animals than they are
to other protists; it was too diverse, so it no longer a single kingdom.
2. Describe the different nutritional strategies of protists.
1. Photoautotroph- contain chloroplast
2. Heterotrophs- absorb organic molecules
3. Mixotrophs- combine photosynthesis and heterotrophic nutrition
The consume energy and carbon. They use photoautotrophy (contain chloroplasts), heterotrophy (absorb
organic molecules. they eat), and mixatrophy (combination of both).
3. Describe the evidence that supports the theory that mitochondria and plastids evolved by serial
endosymbiosis. Explain what living organisms are likely relatives of the prokaryotes that gave rise to
mitochondria and plastids.
Origin of mitochondria is supported by the fact that all eukaryotes studied so far either have
mitochondria or had them in the past
Plasmids: supported by the observation that the DNA of plastids in red and green algae closely resembles the
DNA of cyanobacteria
Mitochondria and plastids originated as separate prokaryotic organisms which were taken into the cell by
endosymbiosis (two living species where one is inside the cell of the other).
Plasmids. the DNA of plastids in red and green algae closely resemble the DNA of cyanobacteria.
According to this theory, mitochondria and plastids (e.g. chloroplasts), and possibly other organelles,
represent formerly free-living bacteria that were taken inside another cell as an endosymbiont
1. Endosymbiosis: englufing other cells

2. Mitochondria and plastids are descendants of bacteria that were engulfed by other cells and became
endosymbionts
3. mitochondria: all eukaryotes have mitochondria or have had them
4. plastids: DNA of plastids in red and green algae closely resembles the DNA in cyanobacteria
4. Describe the evidence that suggests that mitochondria were acquired before plastids
in eukaryotic evolution.
Majority of eukaryotes have mitochondria even if they have a plastid so that means that after
endosymbiosis of mitochondria, some eukaryotes acquried an additional endosymbiosis of a photosynthetic
bacterium (bc some eukaryotes have plastids while all have mitchondria)
5. Explain the role of secondary endosymbiosis in the evolution of red and green algae.
Many photosynthetic protists gained their plastids through the engulfing of photosynthetic algae.
This is supported by the presence of nucleomorph as well as a four membranous system around the plastids
They were ingested in the food vacuoles of heterotrophic eukaryotes and became endosymbionts
themselves
6. Name the five supergroups of eukaryotes. Which supergroups include multicellular

kingdoms?
1. Excavata
2. Chromalveolata
3. Rhizaria
4. Archaeplastida
5. Unikonta
Multicellular Kingdom--Archaplastida, Opisthokonta & Stramenoplies
The Eukaryotic Supergroups
7. Describe the reduced mitochondria of diplomonads and parabasalids.

Diplomonads mitochondria lack DNA, electron transport chains, and enzymes normally needed for
the citric acid cycle.
8. Describe the main characteristics that set the different eukaryotic groups and
supergroups apart from each other.
9. Explain how trypanosomes avoid detection by the human immune system.

They constantly change the proteins on their cell membrane- once the immune system is used to it,
the protist is completely different
10. Describe the main characteristics that set the different eukaryotic groups and
supergroups apart from each other.
11. Describe the life cycle of Plasmodium and explain why Plasmodium continues to pose a
great risk to human health, despite modern medical advances.
12. Describe the two types of nuclei found in ciliates and how a ciliate reproduces.
13. Describe the ecology and impact on humans of the stramenopiles diatoms, kelp and
the water mold relative Phytophthora infestans.
14. Describe the life cycle of a kelp such as Laminaria.
15. Describe the life cycle of the water mold and list three differences between
oomycetes and fungi.
1. Oomycetes have flagella, fungi do not
2. Oomycetes have cell wall made of cellulose. Fungi use polysaccharides
3. Oomycetes are diploid throughout majority of their life cycle while fungi are reduced.
16. Explain why amoeba with lobe or tube shaped pseudopodia are excluded from the
clade Rhizaria.
Amoebas that belong to the clade Rhizaria are distinguished by their threadlike pseudopodia.
17. Describe three mechanisms by which large size and complexity have evolved in
chlorophytes.
18. Compare the life cycles and ecology of plasmodial and cellular slime molds.
19. Discuss how research on the life cycle of Dictyostelium (the cellular slime mold) may
lead to insights into the evolution of multicellularity.
The Ecological Roles of Protists
20. Describe an ecologically significant symbiosis involving a protist partner.
21. Explain the significance of primary production by protists in aquatic communities.

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CHAPTER 28

1. Endosymbiosis: englufing other cells

6. Name the five supergroups of eukaryotes. Which supergroups include multicellular

Multicellular Kingdom--Archaplastida, Opisthokonta & Stramenoplies

The Eukaryotic Supergroups

7. Describe the reduced mitochondria of diplomonads and parabasalids.

9. Explain how trypanosomes avoid detection by the human immune system.

14. Describe the life cycle of a kelp such as Laminaria.

The Ecological Roles of Protists

20. Describe an ecologically significant symbiosis involving a protist partner.

21. Explain the significance of primary production by protists in aquatic communities.

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