Vocab

• Chlamydomonas:

  • Genus of green algae
  • Commonly found in freshwater environments
• Ulva:

  • Genus of green algae
  • Commonly known as sea lettuce
  • Found in marine environments
• Chara:

  • Genus of freshwater green algae
  • Commonly referred to as stoneworts
• Entamoeba histolytica:

  • Parasitic amoeba causing amoebiasis
  • Infection affecting the intestines
• Giardia intestinalis:

  • Flagellated protozoan causing giardiasis
  • Gastrointestinal infection
• Foraminifera:

  • Marine protists with porous shells
  • Significant in paleontology for their use as environmental indicators
• Radiolarians:

  • Marine planktonic protists with intricate mineral skeletons
• Alveoli:

  • Membrane-bound sacs found in the cells of various organisms, including certain protists
• Kinetoplast:

  • DNA-containing granule found in the mitochondria of some protists, including Trypanosoma
• Plasmodium:

  • Genus of parasitic protozoa causing malaria in humans
• "Red Tide":

  • Phenomenon caused by rapid multiplication of certain algae
  • Leads to discoloration of seawater and potentially harmful effects on marine life
• Diatoms:

  • Microscopic, photosynthetic algae with intricate silica shells
  • Significant in aquatic ecosystems
• Pfesteria piscicida:

  • Toxic dinoflagellate associated with harmful algal blooms in aquatic environments
• Trychonympha:

  • Flagellated protist found in the intestines of termites
  • Aids in cellulose digestion
• Oomycetes:

  • Fungus-like microorganisms, including water molds
  • Cause various plant and animal diseases
• Cysts:

  • Dormant and protective life stage of various microorganisms, including some parasites
• Schizogony:

  • Form of asexual reproduction involving multiple nuclear divisions
  • Common in certain protists
• Free-living:

  • Organisms not symbiotically or parasitically dependent on others for survival
• Haplodiplontic:

  • Life cycle involving both haploid and diploid multicellular stages
  • Characteristic of certain algae and plants
• Nektonic:

  • Organisms capable of swimming and moving independently in aquatic environments
• Planktonic:

  • Organisms that drift with ocean currents
  • Typically microscopic
  • Include both plants and animals
• Benthonic:

  • Organisms living on or in the bottom of a body of water
• Kelp:

  • Large brown algae forming underwater forests in colder marine environments
• Conjugation:

  • Type of sexual reproduction involving exchange of genetic material between two organisms
• Slime Mold:

  • Group of organisms displaying characteristics of both fungi and protozoa in their life cycle
• Cellular Slime Mold:

  • Type of slime mold characterized by individual cells that aggregate during the reproductive phase
• Plasmodial Slime Mold:

  • Type of slime mold forming a multinucleate mass called a plasmodium during the reproductive phase
• Amoeba proteus:

  • Large, free-living amoeba frequently used in laboratory studies
• Trypanosoma sp.:

  • Genus of parasitic flagellated protozoa causing diseases like African sleeping sickness and Chagas disease
• Photoautotroph:

  • Organisms capable of producing their own food through photosynthesis
• Mixotroph:

  • Organisms capable of obtaining energy through both autotrophic and heterotrophic means
• Cercozoa:

  • Diverse group of amoeboid and flagellated protists
• Endosymbiosis:

  • Symbiotic relationship where one organism lives within the cells of another
• Heterotroph:

  • Organisms that obtain their nutrients from external sources
• Euglena sp.:

  • Genus of unicellular organisms
  • Often exhibiting both plant and animal characteristics
• Trichomonas vaginalis:

  • Parasitic protozoan causing the sexually transmitted infection trichomoniasis
• Dinoflagellate:

  • Unicellular protists with two flagella
  • Significant for their role in marine ecosystems
  • Some causing harmful algal blooms
• Ciliate:

  • Group of protists characterized by hair-like structures called cilia on their surface
• Pellicle:

  • Protective outer covering found in certain protozoa, like ciliates