Bacteria, Viruses, and ProtistsProtists |
What are some major groups of Protista? |
Little agreement exists among scientists on how to classify the protists, but these small creatures are often divided into several general groups that share certain characteristics of locomotion, nutrition, and reproduction. The following chart is just one of many general groupings of protists:
Group |
Characteristics |
Sarcodinas |
Amoebas and related organisms that have no permanent locomotive structure |
Algae |
Single-celled and multicellular organisms that are photosynthetic |
Diatoms |
Photosynthetic organisms with hard shells made of silica |
Flagellates |
Organisms that propel themselves through water with flagella |
Sporozoans |
Nonmotile parasites that spread by forming spores |
Ciliates |
Organisms that have many short, hairlike structures on their cell surface associated with locomotion |
Molds |
Heterotrophs with restricted mobility that have cell walls composed of carbohydrates |