PROTISTA

Zoology Major Course

Course Code & Name: ZOOC1/Animal Diversity I
Unit 1: Protista, Parazoa & Metazoa

Prepared & Presented By

Mr. Atanu Bora
Assistant Professor & Head
Department of Zoology
Moran College
 Protista
 Kingdom with no proper boundaries – they share characters of fungi, plants and
animals.
 They were in a phase of transition during the course of evolution.
 Unicellular
 Eukaryotes

Paramecium Euglena Amoeba Slime Moulds Diatoms

 Protista
GENRAL CHARACTERS

 Unicellular
 Eukaryotes
 Mostly aquatic
 80S Ribosome present
 Eukaryotic flagella
Protista
CLASSIFCATION

PROTISTA

Autotrophic Decomposer Protozoans

Diatoms Dinoflagellates Euglenoids Slime Moulds

Classification based on mode of Nutrition

 Protista
Autotrophic : Diatoms

 They are also known as Crysophytes and

Golden brown photosynthetic protists.
 They possess varying colours, hence
called jewels of plant kingdom.
 They are chief producers of oceans viz.
they can fix Carbon dioxide for
photosynthesis.
 Protista
Autotrophic : Diatoms

 They are aquatic (mostly marine) and terrestrial.

 Pigments : Chlorophyll a, c, beta-carotene (Reddish orange),
Fucoxanthin Xanthophyll (Brownish in colour; also found in
Brown Algae)
 Mode of Nutrition : Autotrophic (Photosynthetic)
 Oils and polysaccharides as reserve food material.

* Chlorophyll a, b: in most plants

Chlorophyll a, c: Diatoms
Chlorophyll a: Cyanobacteria (Blue Green Algae)
 Protista
Autotrophic : Diatoms

 Cell wall thin and is made up of cellulose.

 Deposition of silica (Frustle) protects and
strengthen the cell wall.
 Absence of flagella in vegetative phase of life.
 They move passively with water currents.
 Protista
Autotrophic : Diatoms

 Asexual Reproduction by Transverse Binary Fission.

 Sexual Reproduction by Isogamy and Oogamy
(Flagellated structure)
 Protista
Autotrophic : Diatoms

 Economic Importance
 Diatomaceous Earth or Keiselguhr
 Used for insulation
 Soundproof rooms
 Filtrations and refineries
 Polishing of metals
 Protista
Autotrophic : Dinoflagellates

 They are also known as Pyrrophytes

 Aquatic (mostly marine)
 Pigments : Chlorophyll a, c,
alpha/beta-carotene, Xanthophyll
 Mode of Nutrition : Autotrophic
(Photosynthetic)
 Oils and polysaccharides as reserve
food material.
 Protista
Autotrophic : Dinoflagellates

 Cell wall is made up of cellulose and

pectin.
 Cell wall performs protection with
armoured trichocyst or cnidoblasts.
 Biflagellate Heterokont (Transverse and
Longitudinal).
 Movement : Flagellar movement whip
whirling.
 Protista
Autotrophic : Dinoflagellates

 Chromosomes are condensed during interphase

unlike regular mitosis.
 Dinoflagellates possess condensed chromosomes
even in interphase, and their nucleus is called a
Osmoregulation is a homeostatic mechanism
Mesokaryon.
that regulates the optimum temperature of
 The condensed chromosomes may allow for water and salts in the tissues and body
fluids. It maintains the internal environment
quick and efficient gene expression. of the body through water and ionic
concentration.
 Sac pusule helps in osmoregulation.
 Protista
Autotrophic : Dinoflagellates

 Asexual Reproduction by Binary Fission.

 Sexual Reproduction by Isogamy and anisogamy.
 Protista
Autotrophic : Dinoflagellates

 Economic Importance
 Bioluminiscence (e.g., Noctiluca)
 Saxitoxin capable of shell fish paralysis
 Red tide (caused by Gonyaulax,
Gymnodium)

Red sea is associated with a cyanobacteria

(Trichodesmium erythraeum) and Red tides with Protist
respectively
 Protista
Autotrophic : Euglenoids

 Aquatic (Freshwater stagnant)

 Pigments : Chlorophyll a, b (similar
to higher plants), beta-carotene,
Xanthophyll
 Mode of Nutrition : Mixotrophic
(Autotrophic and saprobic)
 Paramylum bodies (Beta 1, 4 Glucan)
as reserve food material.
 Protista
Autotrophic : Euglenoids

 Cell wall absent; Pellicle (protein layer)

is present.
 Biflagellate Heterokont (Two different
types of flagella / one small and one
large).
 Movement : Wriggling movement by
myonemes or flagella.
 Protista
Autotrophic : Euglenoids
 The anterior end has a tubular opening called Gullet
that contains a mouth (Cytostome) and a passage
through which the food enters the body.
 The base of the Gullet is called Reservoir that
contains two basal granules.
 These basal granules originates two flagella.
 The two flagella originating from the basal bodies
meet at a structure called Photoreceptor or
paraflagellar body. Gullet

 Just besides photoreceptor are eyespots or eye stigma.

 The photoreceptor gives off outside two unequal
Cytostome
flagella.
 Protista
Autotrophic : Euglenoids

 Contractile vacuole helps in excretion and osmoregulation.

 The eyespot or stigma contains a special red pigment called Astaxanthin, and
serves as light receptor.
 The longer dorsal flagella helps in locomotion.
 The reduced ventral flagella produces a whirling movement that helps to
bring food in to the cytostome.
 Protista
Autotrophic : Euglenoids

 Asexual Reproduction by Longitudinal Binary Fission.

 Sexual Reproduction : Absent
 Cyst formation in adverse condition. The cyst is red in
colour due to the pigment Haematochrome.

Euglena cyst
 Protista
Autotrophic : Euglenoids

 Plant-like feature: Presence of chlorophyll a and b for

photosynthesis
 Animal like feature: absence of cell wall
Protista
Saprotrophic : Slime Moulds
 Protista
Saprotrophic : Slime Moulds

 They are decomposers like fungi.

 Life cycle begins with a diploid zygote (2n).
 The zygote undergoes multiple karyokinesis
producing a large mass called plasmodium under
Sporocarp
favourable conditions (wet and humid).
 Plasmodium starts to develop fruits called as
sporocarp (with sporangium) under unfavourable
conditions (dry).
 Each diploid nucleus of sporangium undergoes
Meiosis and produces haploid (n) spores. Each
Plasmodium
spore has cellulosic wall for protection during
• Diploid (2n)
unfavourable condition.
• Multinucleated (Each nuclei 2n)
 On return of favourable conditions, the spores
• Thalloid (not well differentiated)
germinate.
 In aquatic conditions, spores germinate into
flagellated cells (Swarm cells), and on land mass
they germinate into Amoeboid cell (Myxamoebae).
 Fusion of either haploid cells (syngamy) produces
a diploid zygote.
 Protista
Saprotrophic : Slime Moulds

 Animal like feature: Plasmodium has no

cell wall

 Plant like feature: Spores have cellulosic

wall

 Fungi like feature: Plasmodium produces

fruiting bodies
Protista
Protozoans

Protozoans

Amoeboidal Ciliated Flagellated Sporozoans

Protozoans Protozoans Protozoans

Classification based on mobility: Structure for locomotion

 Amoeba

Protista
Amoeboidal Protozoans

 Habit and Habitat: freshwater, sea water or

moist soil; mostly free living.
 Locomotory structure: pseudopodia (false
feet).
 Body filled or enclosed in silica shells in
some forms only in marine environment.
 Example: Amoeba, Entamoeba (amoebic
dysentery).
 Protista
Ciliated Protozoans

 Habit and Habitat: freshwater or marine;

few parasitic.
 Locomotory structure: cilia; fastest way of
locomotion.
 Possess definite region of ingestion called
as Gullet and egestion.
 Example: Paramoecium.
 Protista
Flagellated Protozoans

 Habit and Habitat: Aquatic; free living or

parasitic.
 Locomotory structure: flagella.
 Rare sexual reproduction with diverse type
association – symbiotic, commensals and
parasitic.
 Example: Trypanosoma (sleeping Symbiotic: both members benefitted
Commensals: one member benefitted, other
sickness). member neither benefitted nor harmed.
Parasitic: one member called parasite is
benefitted, other member called host is harmed.
 Protista
Sporozoans

 Habit and Habitat: All endoparasites.

 Locomotory structure: absent.
 Infectious spore-like stage is present in life
cycle.
 Example: Plasmodium (Malaria).
END of the presentation
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