Protists

Protists are a group of eukaryotic organisms, either unicellular or multicellular, and have not yet shown real tissue differentiation. The member differ from one another in morphology and how they live. There are those with fungi, animal, or plant characteristic.

    Fungus-like Protists (molds) are parasitic molds or predatory molds that produce spores. Parasitic molds are unicellular, aquatic decomposers. Predatory molds or phagocytes are slime molds which are aggregates of migrating cells that form a spore-like structure.

    Animal-like Protists cover all non-photosynthetic Protozoan, for example Rhizopoda and Sporozoa. Protozoans are parasitic and unicellular predators.

    Plant-like Protists are unicellular and photosynthetic; some also have flagella (tail like cellular structure used for movement). Most of these Protists live freely or in a colonies in open seas and other aquatic regions. They are imortant members of Phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are the producers of the aquatic habitats. Other plant-like Protists are golden, red, green, and brown algae.