Summarizing Characteristics of Protists

Summary

Protists are extremely diverse in terms of their biological and ecological characteristics, partly because they are an artificial assemblage of phylogenetically unrelated groups. Protists display highly varied cell structures, several types of reproductive strategies, virtually every possible type of nutrition, and varied habitats. Most single-celled protists are motile, but these organisms use diverse structures for transportation.

Glossary

mixotroph

organism that can obtain nutrition by autotrophic or heterotrophic means, usually facultatively

pellicle

outer cell covering composed of interlocking protein strips that function like a flexible coat of armor, preventing cells from being torn or pierced without compromising their range of motion

phagolysosome

cellular body formed by the union of a phagosome containing the ingested particle with a lysosome that contains hydrolytic enzymes