Skip to main content
Pearson+ LogoPearson+ Logo

Protist Lineages exam Flashcards

Protist Lineages exam
Control buttons has been changed to "navigation" mode.
1/26
  • Excavata
    A major group of unicellular eukaryotes, many of which lack mitochondria and reproduce asexually.
  • What is unique about Diplomonads?
    They lack mitochondria, have two nuclei, and use flagella for motion.
  • Parabasalids
    A group of protists that lack mitochondria and use flagella for movement, often parasitic.
  • What is a mixotroph?
    An organism that can perform both photosynthesis and heterotrophy.
  • Archaeplastida
    A major monophyletic group of eukaryotes that includes green algae and land plants, originating from primary endosymbiosis.
  • What pigment gives red algae its color?
    Phycoerythrin, which masks the green from chlorophyll.
  • Green Algae
    A group of algae similar to land plants, containing chlorophytes and charophytes.
  • What defines the SAR clade?
    A monophyletic supergroup made up of Stramenopiles, Alveolates, and Rhizarians.
  • Stramenopiles
    A group of protists characterized by flagella with hair-like projections, includes diatoms and brown algae.
  • What are diatoms known for?
    Unicellular photosynthetic organisms with protective shells made of silicon dioxide.
  • Golden Algae
    Unicellular organisms with yellow and brown carotenoids, often mixotrophs.
  • What is the function of gas-filled chambers in brown algae?
    To help the kelp stalks float to the surface for better sunlight exposure.
  • Alveolata
    A group of protists with membrane-enclosed sacs (alveoli) under the plasma membrane.
  • What are dinoflagellates?
    Mostly unicellular aquatic protists with two flagella and cellulose plates.
  • Apicomplexans
    Parasitic protists with apical complex structures for host cell penetration.
  • What is unique about the life cycle of Plasmodium?
    It involves both sexual and asexual reproduction, switching between mosquitoes and humans.
  • Ciliates
    Protists covered in cilia used for movement and feeding, with a diploid micronucleus and macronucleus.
  • How do ciliates reproduce sexually?
    By exchanging haploid micronuclei and undergoing mitosis to form new macronuclei and micronuclei.
  • Rhizarians
    Mostly unicellular amoebas that use pseudopodia for feeding.
  • What are radiolarians?
    Protists with an internal silica skeleton and pseudopodia for feeding.
  • Forams
    Protists with calcium carbonate shells that have holes for pseudopodia.
  • What are Cercozoans?
    A group of amoeba and flagellated protists that feed with pseudopodia.
  • Amoebozoa
    A group of amoebas with lobe and tube-shaped pseudopodia, including slime molds.
  • What is a plasmodial slime mold?
    A large, continuous cell with many nuclei that forms fruiting bodies.
  • Cellular Slime Molds
    Slime molds that form fruiting bodies by aggregating individual cells.
  • What is the significance of protists?
    They highlight the evolutionary diversity and complexity of eukaryotic life forms.