Protozoa

Biolgy Dictionary ^ | 4/28/17 | BD editors

[DallasBiff]

Organisms known as protozoa include a wide range of organisms, most of which are free-living single-celled eukaryotes. Therefore, protozoa fit into the Domain Eukarya. Although the different phyla of the kingdom Protista are not closely related, they are nonetheless classified together because of their large differences from the other kingdoms of plants, animals and fungi. The name “protozoa” has a dynamic history, at one time including only the “animal-like” unicellular forms of life. Today, these heterotrophic protozoa are lumped together with the autotrophic algae and other simple forms of life into the Kingdom Protista. While all protozoa are eukaryotes, not all reproduce with the standard model of mitosis that is seen in higher animal cells. Many have complex cellular division that resembles binary fission in bacteria, on a larger scale. Some phyla in the Kingdom Protista are autotrophic cells, containing chloroplasts which can produce sugars from sunlight. Although only heterotrophic organisms were considered protozoa historically, this article will present many of the phyla within Protista that can photosynthesize sugars. Below is an image of a ciliate protozoa.

[DallasBiff]

Gawd, I remember back in grade school the teacher would have the click-clacking film projector and it always began with protozoa.

Call me stupid, but what is the significance of protozoa?

[dayglored]

> ... what is the significance of protozoa?

They are considered the earliest and simplest of God's creatures, as the name itself states. As such they hold a particular and notable place in the vast expanse of living things.

[ComputerGuy]

They look neat under a microscope.

[P.O.E.]

Thinking of selling a line of stuffed animals, starting with the tardigrade. The one in your pic would make a nice addition.

[Colt1851Navy]

These living creatures are the size of our POTUS’s brain(which is dead).

[xoxox]

protozoa ping.

[ComputerGuy]

Stuffed tardigrades are for sale. I’ve seen a few ads online.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

All protozoa are heterotrophic, deriving nutrients from other organisms, either by ingesting them whole by phagocytosis or taking up dissolved organic matter or micro-particles (osmotrophy). Phagocytosis may involve engulfing organic particles with pseudopodia (as amoebae do), taking in food through a specialized mouth-like aperture called a cytostome, or using stiffened ingestion organelles

In other words, communists, marxists, liberals and democrats are all protozoa.

[LittleBillyInfidel]

This reminds me of what great teachers I had, growing up in the 70s in Littleton, Colorado. Biology, English, Geography, American Civ; they were all probably college level compared to the quality these kids get today.

[Omnivore-Dan]

Not sure whether or not is was single celled or not, but around 1966 my biology teacher too us on a field trip beyond the football field, where there was a pond. We collected samples of the water and some muck, some algae. We went back to class and made slides, and looked under the microscopes. Every desk had one. We were amazed at what we saw. I identified a rotifer, and a hydra, and got an “A”. Made my day.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Come on,
That’s an origami manatee!
😂

[BipolarBob]

Some run for political office.

[P.O.E.]

Dang - waited too long to bring my brilliant idea to market. Again.

[Verginius Rufus]

What is the opposite of protozoa? Contozoa or Antitozoa?

[alexander_busek]

Not sure whether or not is was single celled or not, but [...] I identified a rotifer, and a hydra."

Both are metazoans (i.e., multicellular creatures).

Regards,

[scrabblehack]

I’ve thought primates.
Protozoa = “first animals” (Greek) - most basic
Primates = “first (animals)” (Latin) - most important

Yes, Primates is an order; Protozoa is a kingdom.

[EinNYC]

One of my students’ favorite labs was the protozoans under a microscope lab. I had gone to a nearby pond and collected a bunch of water samples. I taught the students how to use depression slides and pipettes to put a drop of pond water onto the depression slides and then put a cover slip over the slide. We saw many fascinating critters. My favorite protozoan was the pretty blue Stentor, a funnel-shaped proto with the larger end ringed with cilia. Occasionally we got to see one species of proto devour another species, which was very interesting.

[Omnivore-Dan]

Biology class was my favorite. I remember dissecting night crawlers and then frogs. The worm dissection class went fairly well, but a couple kids tossed their lunch during the frog class. One of the frogs wasn’t quite dead, and it’s heart was still beating, a girl freaked out knowing she killed it. It was a disaster from that point on. But a couple of us, including myself thought it was hysterical, in spite of the stench. 60 years ago, and I can remember it like it was yesterday.

[Verginius Rufus]

Yes, Protozoa and Primates have related meanings...and ultimately go back to the same Indo-European root (*per-), as do English words like first, forth, former, etc. (English and other Germanic languages often have an "f" where Latin and Greek have a "p"--cf. father/pater, five/pente and fish/piscis).

Protozoa combines Greek protos "first" with zoon "animal" or "living being."