2. KINGDOM:PROTISTA
WHAT ARE PROTISTS?
• A protist is any organism that is not a plant,animal
or fungus
• Ernest Haeckel coined the term protista in 1886
• Simplest Eukaryotes
• Mostly unicellular, some are multicellular
• Can be autotrophic or heterotrophic
• Microscopic or macroscopic
• Capable of sexual, as well as asexual reproduction.
• Free living or live symbiotically with other organism.
• Most organisms live in moist environment.
3. 3 Categories of Protists
Animal-like
PROTOZOA
Plant-like
ALGAE
Fungus-like
SLIME
MOLDS AND
WATER
MOLDS
5. What Are Protozoan Protists?
• The word "protozoa" was coined in 1818 by zoologist Georg August
Goldfuss
• Protos(first) + zoazoon(animal) = Protozoa.
• Unicellular
• Aquatic, free-living or parasitic
• Locomotion.
• Heterotrophs-ingesting other organisms or dead organic matter.
• Both sexual and asexual reproduction(binary fission,budding &
multiple fission)
6. Scheme of Classification of Protozoa:
• Protozoans, depending upon its size, habit, habitat
or depending upon its locomotory organs, had been
classified differently by various authors, like Hyman
(1940), Parker and Haswell (1949), Honiberg et al.
(1964).
• The classification of Protozoa by Levin et al. (1980)
is the recent one and is widely accepted by modern
taxonomists.
7. Protozoan Taxonomy
• The protozoans, like all other organisms, are classified into
more specific groups.
• Protozoan taxonomy (classification) is based on
1. Their mode of locomotion.
2. The number and type of nuclei they have.
8. Traditional classification of protozoa
• Classification of protozoa was based on mode of locomotion.
• Flagella – long, whip-like; usually one or two
• Cilia – short, bristle-like; hundreds to thousands
• Pseudopodia – pseudo = false; pod = foot an extension of the
cell membrane into which the cytoplasm flows creating a
directional movement.
• Some protozoans are non motile.(sporozoa)
12. Phylum Sarcomastigophora
Nucleus is of single type, except in heterokaryotic Foraminifera.
Locomotory organs are either pseudo- podia or flagella or both.
Both Sexual and Asexual reproduction
• Subphylum Mastigophora and Sarcodina
14. Subphylum Sarcodina
Contains amoeboid protest
• Found in both fresh and salt water
• Class Rhizopoda
• Examples: Amoeba, Elphidium,
Coccodiscus, Naegleria, Entamoeba
15. Phylum Labyrinthomorpha
• Consist of protists that have spindled-shaped or spherical, non-
amoeboid cells.
• Mostly inhabitants of marine and estuarine water.
Fig.labyrinthula
• Saprophytic and parasitic on algae.
• Zoospores are produced by most species.
• Examples: Labyrinthula, Labyrinthomyxa
16. Phylum Apicomplexa
• Often called sporozoans
• Spore-forming stage in their life cycle
• Lack special locomotory organelles
• All species are parasitic in nature.
• Examples: Plasmodium,Taxoplasma,Cryptosporidium
17. Phylum Microspora
• Obligatory intracellular parasites found in nearly all major
animal groups.
• Spore is with simple or complex extrusion apparatus
associated with polar tube and polar cap.
• Mitochondria absent in spores.
• Unique Example of Hyperparasitism
• Examples:Nosema, Burkea, Hessea.
18. Phylum Ascetospora
• Small phylum
• Consists exclusively of parasitic protist
• In most of the cases spores are multicellular.
• Spores without polar capsules or polar filaments.
• Examples:Haplosporidium, Coelosporidium, Paramyxa, Marteilia.
Fig.1Haplosporidium
Fig.2Marteillia.
19. Phylum Myxozoa
• Found in freshwater and marine
• All species are parasitic.
• Spores are of multicellular origin
• Examples:Myxidium, Myxosoma, Trilospora, Triactinomyxon.
20. Phylum Ciliophora
• Largest phyla
• Cilia as locomotory organelles
• Most of the species are free living
• some truly parasitic
• Simple cilia or compound ciliary organelles are present in at least one stage of life
cycle.
• Subpellicular cilia is present even when surface cilia is absent.
• Nuclei are of two types.
• Presence of typical contractile vacuole.
• Nutrition heterotrophic.
• Asexual reproduction by binary fission, basically, but budding and multiple fission
also occur.
• Sexual reproduction involves conjugation, autogamy and cytogamy.
Examples:Paramoecium,Balantidiuma ,Vorticella, Nyctotherus, Tetrahymena, Nassula,
Podophrya, Prorodon
21.
22. Protozoan diseases in human
• Protozoans infects humans and inhibits the body
as parasites.
• Some species causes human diseases.
• Diseases are widespread
• Requires intermediate hosts for transmission of
disease. Eg.mosquitoes
23. References
• Kumar et al(book) Life Sciences: Fundamental And Practice I
,6th edition Pg no.557-558
• Prescott’s microbiology(book)10th edition,chapter 25,Pg
no.553.
• http://www.notesonzoology.com/protozoa/protozoa-
classification-features-and-evolution-zoology/1447
• https://www.slideshare.net/NoeMendez9/characteristi
cs-of-protozoa?next_slideshow=1
