Protists have survived through Evolutionary History

Abstract

The research study discusses protista, which is a member of kingdom protista, a family of unicellular organisms whose attributes and characteristics did not match with other kingdoms. The research provides a quick investigation of peculiar attributes and classifications of protists. In addition to this, research paper provides quick glimpse of the diversity and evolution of protists. Moreover, it undertakes thorough research of the prior literature to determine the evolutionary history of protists and how they managed to survive. The paper discusses about the prevailing agreement among biologists on the true origin and survival basis of protists. The research paper also undertakes the growing significance of protists for ecological and biological studies.

Key Words: Kingdom protista, attributes, diversity, evolutionary history, significance of protists

Protist have Survived through Evolutionary History

Introduction

The paper investigates kingdom protista and how it has survived through evolutionary history. In the light of prior literature and ecological studies, the paper evaluates and collects information on the way it protists have survived through all those years of evolution. In the light of contrary views of biologists, the paper summarizes the facts and reasons of protists' origin and survival.

Discussion

Kingdom Protista

Kingdom protista is identified as a diverse and relatively large group of 16 phyla, at minimum. However, protists were member of the most diverse kingdom within the domain of eukaryote (figure 1) (Protists, n.d).

Figure 1: Kingdoms of Eukarytoa (Protists, n.d., p. 696)

Research shows that very few of the protists have given rise to multicellular organisms; whereas, at least thirteen phyla remained as single celled (figure 2).

Figure 2: Various Phylas (Nicholls, n.d., p. 1)

Protists have been elaborated as assorted gathering of single-cell eukaryotes, which are characterized by large diversity of multifaceted cell structures and shapes. Ecologists have discovered numerous forms of protists including uncultivated free-living protists such as gromiids, haplosporids, radiolarians, parasitic plasmodiophorids, and foraminiferans (Burki et. al., 2010).

Typically, protists create an important albeit, as a subtle element of biodiversity on a global scale. However, insufficient availability of genomic data on protistan ancestries has made it difficult to restructure the evolutionary history of protists and to understand their origin of unusual diversity (Pawlowski, 2011).

Biological Significance of Protists

Mader (n.d.) has defined protists as a composition of eukaryotic cells that are characterized by membranous organelles. Kingdom protesta is dominated by unicellular organisms, and there is lack of tissue demarcation in more complex organisms (Mader, n.d.). Ecological research studies show that protest have varied in size ranging from microscopic algae and protozoans to kelp, which may exceed up to 200m in length. For instance (Mader, n.d.):

Spirogyra (green alga): filamentous

Volvox (green alga): colonial

Kelp (brown alga): multicelluar

According to Mader (n.d.), few protists are heterotrophic and few are photoautotrophic, and they also differ in the reproduction classifications. Few species undergo sexual reproduction whereas; most of the species use asexual reproduction. During this process, parasitic and free living protists are allowed to survive even in hostile environments through the creation of spores (Mader, n.d.).

Moreover, protists have varied in their growing importance and significance for biology and ...