Protist Review

1. What are some important differences between Monerans and Protists? (nucleus, cell wall)

2. Why do protists live in aqueous environments? (they often swim and need water to get nutrients)

3. What three groups make up the kingdom Protista? (those like animals, plants, and fungi)

4. What characteristics distinguish plant-like protists from animal-like protists? (photosynthesis, sometimes motility)

5. Would you expect all students to observe exactly the same shape when observing a live amoeba under the microscope? Explain. (shape changes as pseudopods change)

6. What is a pseudopod and what is one used for? (extension of cytoplasm used for movement and engulfing food)

7. Unlike the higher plants, plant-like protists do not have roots, stems, or leaves. Explain why they do not require these structures? (they absorb nutrients directly from water; use water for support when multicellular, entire organism is photosynthetic)

8. Why are multicellular algae not classified as plants? (no cell wall of cellulose)

9. What is the function of the cilia on the surface of Paramecium? (swimming; somewhat to capture prey)

10. If you observe a contractile vacuole in a protist, what is the most likely habitat for the organism? (fresh water)

11. All protists are eukaryotic. Why, then, is this not considered a trait that defines the group? (plants, animals, and fungi are eukaryotic)

12. You have a sample of pond water in which you want to look for protists. The jar has some mud at the bottom and some plant bits as well. Where would you look to find sarcodines? (bottom or side of jar or on plant) Ciliates? (free-swimming)

13. Smaller classification groupings for the Animal-like Protists are based on the following

a) colour *(b) means of locomotion (c) size of the organisms (d) number of cilia

14. All members of the Kingdom Protista

*a) are eukaryotes (b) reproduce sexually (c) have cilia (d) do not have a membrane around the nucleus

15. The Kingdom Protista is often described as the junk drawer when it comes to classification of organisms. Explain the meaning of this statement. (they don’t seem to fit anywhere else)

16. Discuss the importance of the Protists to life in a pond habitat. (base of many food chains)