Question

You need to construct a dichotomous key for the following taxa from the protists:

• Ulva,
• Volvox,
• Spirogyra,
• Red algae,
• Plasmodial slime mold,
• Dinoflagellates,
• Stentor,
• Plasmodium,
• Trypanosoma,
• diatoms,
• Radiolaria,
• Euglena
• Brown algae

Answer 1

Answer

Ulva.

This is a small genus of marine and brackish water green algae. It is edible and is often called 'Sea Lettuce'. Species with hollow, one-layered thalli were formerly included in Enteromorpha, but it is widely accepted now that such species should be included in Ulva.

Volvox.

Volvox is a polyphyletic genus of chlorophyte green algae in the family Volvocaceae. It forms spherical colonies of up to 50,000 cells.  Volvox can be found in ponds, puddles, and bodies of still fresh water throughout the world. As autotrophs, they contribute to the production of oxygen and serve as food for a number of aquatic organisms, especially the microscopic invertebrates called rotifers. One of the most-common species, V.

Spirogyra.

Spirogyra is a filamentous charophyte green algae of the order Zygnematales, named for the helical or spiral arrangement of the chloroplasts that is characteristic of the genus. An amoeba is animal-like because of its ability to move. It searches for its own food. A spirogyra is plant-like because of the presence of chlorophyll which allows it to make its own food.Spirogyra spp. is valued for human consumption, and is known as an important source of natural bioactive compounds for antibiotic, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic purposes.

Red algae.

Red algae, or Rhodophyta, are one of the oldest groups of eukaryotic algae. The Rhodophyta also comprises one of the largest phyla of algae, containing over 7,000 currently recognized species with taxonomic revisions ongoing. Red algae such as dulse and laver are a traditional part of European and Asian cuisines and are used to make other products such as agar, carrageenans and other food additives.Red algae are found around the world, from polar waters to the tropics, and are commonly found in tide pools and in coral reefs.

Plasmodial slime mold.

Slime mold or slime mould is an informal name given to several kinds of unrelated eukaryotic organisms that can live freely as single cells, but can aggregate together to form multicellular reproductive structures. Plasmodium, in fungi (kingdom Fungi), a mobile multinucleate mass of cytoplasm without a firm cell wall. A plasmodium is characteristic of the vegetative phase of true slime molds (Myxomycetes) and such allied genera as Plasmodiophora and Spongospora. Slime molds were formerly classified as fungi but are no longer considered part of that kingdom.

Dinoflagellates.

The dinoflagellates are single-celled eukaryotes constituting the phylum Dinoflagellata. Usually considered algae, dinoflagellates are mostly marine plankton, but they also are common in freshwater habitats. Their populations are distributed depending on sea surface temperature, salinity, or depth.Dinoflagellate DNA always exists in a crystalline form in the nucleus, unlike other eukaryotes. In addition, lack proteins called histones that in other eukaryotic cells helps organize the chromosomes. Dinoflagellates contain a lot of DNA, which explains the large size of the nucleus.

Stentor.

sometimes called trumpet animalcules, are a genus of filter-feeding, heterotrophic ciliates, representative of the heterotrichs. They are usually horn-shaped, and reach lengths of two millimeters; as such, they are among the biggest known extant unicellular organisms. Protist a small organism, usually made of one cell, that has some of the characteristics of a plant or an animal A euglena is a plant-like protist. An amoeba is an animal-like protist. A paramecium, stentor, spirostomum, and amoeba are protozoans. Protozoans are consumers and must eat food.

Plasmodium.

Plasmodium is a genus of unicellular eukaryotes that are obligate parasites of vertebrates and insects. The life cycles of Plasmodium species involve development in a blood-feeding insect host which then injects parasites into a vertebrate host during a blood meal.

Plasmodium, which infects red blood cells in mammals (including humans), birds, and reptiles, occurs worldwide, especially in tropical and temperate zones. The organism is transmitted by the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito. Other insects and some mites may also transmit forms of malaria to animals.

Trypanosoma.

Trypanosoma is a genus of kinetoplastids , a monophyletic group of unicellular parasitic flagellate protozoa. Trypanosoma is part of the phylum Sarcomastigophora. The name is derived from the Greek trypano-and soma because of their corkscrew-like motion.

The parasites undergo asexual reproduction in the fly gut, transforming from procyclic trypomastigotes to epimastigotes. These then move to the salivary glands where they transform into the infective stage to humans, the metacyclic trypomastigote.

Diatoms.

Diatoms are algae that live in houses made of glass. They are the only organism on the planet with cell walls composed of transparent, opaline silica. Diatoms are a widespread group and can be found in the oceans, in fresh water, in soils, and on damp surfaces. They are one of the dominant components of phytoplankton in nutrient-rich coastal waters and during oceanic spring blooms, since they can divide more rapidly than other groups of phytoplankton.

Radiolaria.

Radiolarian, any protozoan of the class Polycystinea (superclass Actinopoda), found in the upper layers of all oceans. Radiolarians, which are mostly spherically symmetrical, are known for their complex and beautifully sculptured, though minute, skeletons, referred to as tests.

The Radiolaria, also called Radiozoa, are protozoa of diameter 0.1–0.2 mm that produce intricate mineral skeletons, typically with a central capsule dividing the cell into the inner and outer portions of endoplasm and ectoplasm. The elaborate mineral skeleton is usually made of silica.

Euglena.

Euglena is a genus of single cell flagellate eukaryotes. It is the best known and most widely studied member of the class Euglenoidea, a diverse group containing some 54 genera and at least 800 species. Species of Euglena are found in freshwater and salt water.

Euglena, genus of more than 1,000 species of single-celled flagellated microorganisms that feature both plant and animal characteristics. Found worldwide, Euglena live in fresh and brackish water rich in organic matter and can also be found in moist soils.

Brown algae.

Humans find a variety of commercial uses for these marine organisms. Brown algae are used to produced alginates, which are employed as food additives and in industrial manufacturing. Their common uses include as food thickeners and fillers as well as stabilizers for the ionization process of batteries.

The brown algae, comprising the class Phaeophyceae, are a large group of multicellular algae, including many seaweeds located in colder waters within the Northern Hemisphere. Most brown algae live in marine environments, where they play an important role both as food and as a potential habitat.

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