Question

Do protists need oxygen?

Answer 1

Protists are unicellular in nature but can also be found as a colony of cells. Most of them are found in the damp and moist areas, water, terrestrial environments, or even as parasites. They are generally aquatic in nature and are found within the soil.

Complete answer:
A protist is a eukaryotic organism that is not an animal, plant, or fungus. They are eukaryotic unicellular organisms. Whittaker in his five-kingdom classification grouped them under a different kingdom. Protists are mostly unicellular organisms but a few like kelp are the multicellular protists. They require oxygen for the process of respiration. These types of protists are called obligate aerobes and the respiration occurs in aerobic respiration, while in some cases like parasitic protists they do not require oxygen thus respiration occurs through anaerobic respiration. These protists are called anaerobes.

Additional information:
Their modes of nutrition are both autotrophic or heterotrophic. Those organisms that can male their own food are called autotrophic organisms while those organisms that are dependent on others for food and nutrition are called heterotrophic organisms. This group shows the process of symbiosis with their other members. For example, kelp (seaweed) are the multicellular protist that lives in symbiotic association with the otters they protect otters from predators and keep them safe in their thick kelp while the otters eat sea urchins that attacks the kelp as the prey. Thus acting as a parasite. Parasitism is observed in protists. As in humans sleeping sickness is caused by species like Trypanosoma protozoa.
The nucleus present in them is prominent. Its nucleus is enclosed in a nuclear membrane. The nucleus is composed of DNA along with histone proteins. They constitute cell organelles. They produce fruiting bodies by the production of spores. Their cells are motile for some part of their life cycle. Their life cycle is complex consisting of both sexual and asexual phases. Examples are amoeba, Paramecium , Euglena , etc.

Note:
Protists exhibit locomotion through cilia and flagella. A few organisms belonging to the dominion Protists have pseudopodia that help them to manoeuvre.
Protista reproduces by asexual means under severe conditions while the sexual method of reproduction is extremely rare.