Question

What are the major groups of protists?

Answer 1

Protists comprise a wide variety of species. Though there are variations, they are mostly microscopic and unicellular (made up of just one cell). Protists have well-organized cells with a nucleus and specialized cellular machinery known as organelles.

Complete answer:
The single-celled eukaryotes are known as Protista. The kingdom's borders, on the other hand, are not clearly defined. Protista is mainly an aquatic phylum. This kingdom is connected to the kingdoms of plants, animals, and fungi. The protist cell body, like other eukaryotes, has a well-defined nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.

Protists are often categorized according to how closely they mimic other eukaryotes, such as mammals, plants, and fungi.
i) Protozoa: Animal-Like Protists
Animal-like protists are generally referred to as protozoa (singular, protozoan). The bulk of protozoa are made up of only one cell. They have animal-like features since they are heterotrophs and can travel. Even though protozoa are not mammals, they are considered to be their ancestors.

ii) Protists that Look Like Plants
Algae are protists that look like plants (singular, alga). They're a huge and eclectic bunch. Diatoms, for example, are single-celled algae. Seaweed, for example, is a multicellular organism.

iii) Molds are fungus-like protists.
Molds are fungus-like protists. They eat rotting organic matter and are absorptive feeders. They look like mushrooms and reproduce by spores, much like fungi. In other respects, though, they differ from fungi and are more akin to other protists. For example, they have cellulose-based cell walls, while fungi have chitin-based cell walls.

Note:
- Cell fusion and zygote development are used by protists to replicate both asexually and sexually.
- It's possible that it's photosynthetic or holotropic.
- Saprotrophic, bacterial, and symbionts are both possibilities.