Paramecium. Click here to view image.Â
Protists belong to a diverse group of eukaryotic microorganisms with a relatively simple organisation - ie either unicellular or multicellular without specialised tissues. They thrive in areas containing water, eg paramecium. Many protists, such as the algae are photosynthetic and are vital primary producers in ecosystems. Some protists have both animal and plant-like features (See Euglenozoa) and others like the plasmodium from the Phylum Apicomplexa causes malaria.
To summarise, there are six phyla representing the Kingdom Protista namely the
1. Phylum Chlorophyta
2. Phylum Retortamonada
3. Phylum Axostylata
4. Phylum Euglenozoa
5. Phylum Apicomplexa
6. Phylum Ciliophora.
Read on about the different phyla in the given website. Give attention to the phyla that are more plant-like and those that are more animal-like. At the end, try the online quiz. Have fun!