2. Protista Kingdom abandoned – Many protists are more similar to animals, plants or fungi The term “protist” is still used to describe any eukaryote which is not animal, plant, or fungi Protists are more diverse than any other organism Diverse because one cell must carry out all of the average functions
3. Complexity Mostly unicellular, though some are colonial or multicellular Some photo-autotrophs, some hetertrophic, and some are both Some are asexual, while others undergo meiosis
4. Endosymbiosis Key factor in diversity of protists Mitochondria from alpha proteobacteria All eukaryotes studied from a certain point either have mitochondria or had them at some point
5. Plastids of endo. sym. Red and green algae from a photosynthetic cyanobacteria, supported by similar DNA between algae plastids and cyanobacteria R & G algae were also taken in and remain in many other protists
6. Modified mitochondria Diplomonads and parabasalids contain remnants of mitochondria Remnants aid in digestion, but do not contain electron trans. chain TrichomonasVaginalis– the infection of the vagina resulting from an anaerobic eukaryote resembling bacteria found in the vagina.
7. Kinetoplastids Contains an organelle, kinetoplast, which stores extranuclear DNA African sleeping sickness results from kinetoplastids Evades immunity by switching surface proteins every generation A third of the genome codes for surface proteins
8. Dinoflagellates Flagellated protists which are the foundation of many water based food-chains Have blooms, or massive growths, causing red tides Tides can be toxic to both fish and humans
9. Apicomplexans Parasites of mammals, forming lethal diseases Intricate, multi-host life cycles Malaria falls into this category Very evasive due to changing of surface proteins Must go through Anopheles mosquitoes and humans to complete cycle
10. Ciliates Protists using cilia to move and eat Contain macro and micro-nuclei Macro nuclei split to reproduce, but micronuclei simply mix, or conjugate, at times when ciliates cross paths Reproduction and sharing of genes are completely separate ideas
11. Brown Algae One of the largest and most complex protists Their color is due to carotenoids in their plastids
12. Seaweed A collective group of largest marine algae, i.e. brown, red, and green algae Complex multi-cellular anatomy Closely resemble land based plants Body is known as a thallus, containing the stem and root systems, which support the photosynthetic leaves branching off
13. Kelp Seaweed inhabiting the deep sea beyond the intertidal zone Can grow up to 60 meters in length All seaweed have alternation of generations
