Question

Cite at least four examples of structural and functional diversity among protists.

Short answer

Protists are organisms that belong to the domain Eukarya. They can be unicellular (like red algae), multicellular (seaweeds), and colonial (like choanoflagellates). They can be phototrophs or heterotrophs.

They reproduce asexually by the process of binary fission or sexually by conjugation. They mostly survive in a moist environment because most of the protists are aquatic organisms.

Step-by-step solution

Types of kingdoms

The scientist Robert Whittaker classified organisms into five kingdoms that are Monera (such as bacteria), Protista (such as algae), Fungi (such as yeasts), Plantae (such as moss), and Animalia (such as humans).

The organisms in kingdom protists contain cilia or flagella for movement. This kingdom possesses eukaryotic organisms.

Structural diversity in protists

There can be animal-like protists (they are heterotrophs and motile) such as protozoa, plant-like protists (can perform photosynthesis and autotrophs in nature) such as called diatoms, and fungus-like protists (reproduce by spore formation, and possess cell wall in their cell) such as molds.

Functional diversity in protists

Protist cells require energy to grow, reproduce and maintain homeostasis in the cell. There are three modes of nutrition in protists that are autotrophic, Heterotrophic, and Mixotrophic.

Autotrophic protists prepare their food themselves with inorganic materials. On the other hand, heterotrophic protists prepare their food by eating other organisms. Mixotrophic protists can perform both autotrophic and mixotrophic nutrition.