Biology Homework Chapter 16: Protists

Homework

• Reading Preparation
• WebLecture
• Study Activity
• Preparation work for chat
• Online Quiz
• Lab Instructions

Reading Preparation

Textbook assignment: Chapter 16: The Origin and Evolution of Microbial Life, sections 12-19.

Study Notes

• 16.12 Protist diversity is causing biologists to revise classification of this group, again using energy and carbon sources as classification criteria. Some protists are photosynthetic (algae) while others are heterotrophs (protozoans). Some gain food by external digestion of organic materials, similar to fungi nutritional processes, while others are parasites, and some are capable of both photosynthesis and chemical heterotrophy (euglena). However, tradition protist classifications are giving way to other schemes that emphasize phylogenetic relationships.
• 16.13 Classification of protista is complicated by the diversity of forms. Former classification systems of protists included a group called "protozoa"; this group has been redefined and new subdivisions created that emphasizes the DNA patterns as indicating close relationships. Former groups are now are identified with protists, unikonta (which includes fungi and animals), and with archaeplastida (which includes plants and algae).
• 16.14 The SAR group is divided into
  • Stramenopiles, including diatoms and brown algae, both autotrophic, and water molds, which are heterotrophic. Dinoflagellates have complex shells of silicate, while brown algae form colonies.
  • Alveolates, including dinoflagellates — a group which gets its energy through photosynthesis, chemosynthesis, or both — and ciliates. A number of parasites that cause human disease such as malaria also belong to this group.
  • Rhizaria, which includes amoebas and foraminiferans, single-celled organisms with calcium carbonate shells.
• 16.15 Algae are efficient at converting light energy from the sun into chemical energy, and could provide a replacement for fossil fuels.
• 16.16 The excavates are identified by their modified mitochondria, which do not use electron transport chains but rather anaerobic processes to produce energy.
• 16.17 Unikonts include a variety of forms, including fungi and animals, but also protist forms. Cellular and plasmodial slime molds have both single and multicellular stages or form supercells with multiple nuclei to survive changes in their environments. They are closely related to amoebas, which can extend lobe-shaped pseudopodia to capture food. These organisms have been grouped together as amoebozoans.
• 16.18 Another "supergroup" contains the archaeplastids, which include all algae. Algae are photosynthetic protists containing chloroplasts; they include dinoflagellates, diatoms, green algae, brown algae (kelp), and red algae. Algae can be multicellular colonies forming seaweed. Like plants, they have both gametophyte and sporophyte "generations".
• 16.19 While only a few years ago, most biologists believe that multicellular life evolved from colonial algae, which may have developed structures that enabled it to live on land, many now believe that at least two other processes led to the development of non-plant forms of multicellular life: choanoflagellates gave rise to animals, while nuclereids gave rise to fungi.

Web Lecture

Read the following weblecture before chat: Protist Forms

Take notes on any questions you have, and be prepared to discuss the lecture in chat.

Perform the study activity below:

Chat Preparation Activities

• Essay question: The Moodle forum for the session will assign a specific study question for you to prepare for chat. You need to read this question and post your answer before chat starts for this session.
• Mastery Exercise: The Moodle Mastery exercise for the chapter will contain sections related to our chat topic. Try to complete these before the chat starts, so that you can ask questions.

Chapter Quiz

• Required: Complete the Mastery Exercise with a score of 85% or better.
• Optional: Test yourself with the textbook multiple choice questions and note any that you miss that still don't make sense. Bring questions to chat!
• Go to the Moodle and take the quiz for this chapter.

Lab Work

Read through the lab for this week; bring questions to chat on any aspect of the lab, whether you intend not perform it or not. If you decide to perform the lab, be sure to submit your report by the posted due date.

• Lab Instructions: Protists from the Pond

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