BFI Protists Microbes

• Biology 15:163/15:152 Microbial Biology is a module that covers topics such as the evolution of microorganisms, phylogeny and systematics, Bacteria and Archaea, Protists, Fungi, and a tour of the cell.
• Dr Ellen Boudreau is the instructor for the module.
• The module was taught in January 2024.
• Chapter 6 of the module covers the tour of the cell.
• Chapter 25 of the module discusses the evolution of microorganisms.
• Chapter 26 of the module focuses on phylogeny and systematics.
• Chapter 27 of the module explores Bacteria and Archaea.
• Chapter 28 of the module discusses Protists.
• Chapter 31 of the module covers Fungi.
• Most eukaryotes are single-celled organisms.
• Excavates include protists with modified mitochondria and protists with unique flagella.
• The SAR clade is a highly diverse group of protists defined by DNA similarities.
• Red algae and green algae are the closest relatives of land plants.
• Unikonts include protists that are closely related to fungi and animals.
• The relationships of some protists to other eukaryotes is uncertain.
• Protists play key roles in ecological communities.
• Paramecium bursaria is a non-photosynthetic ciliate that is housing hundreds of green algae in their cytoplasm.
• Each have mutualistic benefits but can survive without the other.
• Diatoms remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and “pump” it to the ocean floor.
• Some scientists advocate fertilizing the ocean to promote diatom blooms and the movement of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to the ocean floor.
• Fossilized diatom walls compose much of the sediments known as diatomaceous earth.
• The “SAR” clade is a diverse monophyletic supergroup named for the first letters of its three major clades: stramenopiles, alveolates, and rhizarians.
• Stramenopiles include diatoms, golden algae, and brown algae.
• Diatoms are unicellular algae with a unique two-part, glass-like wall of silicon dioxide.
• Diatoms are a major component of phytoplankton and are highly diverse.
• Brown algae are the largest and most complex algae.
• Green algae exchange photosynthates with the paramecium.
• All brown algae are multicellular, and most are marine.
• Kelps have plantlike structures: the rootlike holdfast anchors the algae, and a stemlike stipe supports leaflike blades.
• Brown algae have the most complex multicellular anatomy of all algae.
• Most stramenopiles have a “hairy” flagellum paired with a “smooth” flagellum.
• Brown algae include many species commonly called “seaweeds”.
• Giant seaweeds called kelps live in deep parts of the ocean.
• The similarities between algae and plants are examples of analogous structures.
• The SAR clade is a highly diverse group of protists defined by DNA similarities.
• Stramenopiles include some of the most important photosynthetic organisms on Earth.
• Algae receive various inorganic nutrients in return.
• Excavates include parasites such as Giardia, as well as many predatory and photosynthetic species.
• Protists include photoautotrophs, which contain chloroplasts, heterotrophs, which absorb organic molecules or ingest larger food particles, and mixotrophs, which combine photosynthesis and heterotrophic nutrition.
• Protists exhibit more structural and functional diversity than any other group of eukaryotes.