Protist

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Protist

Protist (/ˈproʊtɪst/; from Greek πρῶτος prôtos, "first" and Latin -ista, "specialist") is a term used to describe any eukaryotic organism that is not an animal, plant, or fungus. The protists do not form a natural group, or clade, since they exclude certain eukaryotes; but, like algae or invertebrates, they are often grouped together for convenience.

Etymology

The term "protist" comes from the Greek "πρῶτος" (prôtos), meaning "first," and the Latin "-ista," meaning "specialist." This reflects the historical view of protists as the first evolved life forms.

Classification

Protists were traditionally subdivided into several groups based on similarities to the "higher" kingdoms such as:

  • Protozoa, which includes amoebae, flagellates, ciliates, sporozoans, and many other forms of unicellular organisms.
  • Algae, which are photosynthetic protists.
  • Fungi, which are non-photosynthetic, spore-producing protists.

However, modern classifications attempt to assign protists into clades that contain organisms descended from a common ancestor.

Characteristics

Protists are a diverse group of organisms, varying in size and shape, from single-celled organisms to complex multicellular forms. They are primarily microscopic and unicellular, but some (like algae) are multicellular. Most protists are aquatic, living in water bodies, moist terrestrial habitats, or as parasites in other organisms.

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