Table of Contents
Are protists harmful or helpful?
The kingdom Protista is a diverse group of organisms. Some protists are harmful, but many more are beneficial. These organisms form the foundation for food chains, produce the oxygen we breathe, and play an important role in nutrient recycling. Many protists are economically useful as well.
Do protists help some animals?
Protists feed a large portion of the world’s aquatic species and conduct a quarter of the world’s photosynthesis. Protists help land-dwelling animals such as cockroaches and termites digest cellulose.
How do protists affect animals?
Other types of protists offer more direct benefits for animals in the form of symbiotic relationships. Various protists and bacteria also live in the digestive tracts of ruminants, such as cows, and help them break down the food they eat for nutrients and energy.
Why are some protists helpful?
Protists produce almost one-half of the oxygen on the planet through . Humans could not live on Earth if it were not for protists. Plant-like protists produce almost one-half of the oxygen on the planet through photosynthesis. Other protists decompose and recycle nutrients that humans need to live.
Why are some protists harmful to living organisms?
Many protists are harmful to humans, other animals and plants because they cause diseases and crop failures. However, some protists are actually beneficial to other creatures and are used by humans for various purposes.
Why are animal like protists not animals?
Animal-like protists are commonly called protozoa (singular, protozoan). They are animal-like because they are heterotrophs, and are capable of moving. Although protozoa are not animals, they are thought to be the ancestors of animals.
How do protists cause harm?
Some severe diseases of humans are caused by protists, primarily blood parasites. Malaria, trypanosomiasis (e.g., African sleeping sickness), leishmaniasis, toxoplasmosis, and amoebic dysentery are debilitating or fatal afflictions.
What is the importance of protists in the ocean?
The protists and their products of photosynthesis are essential—directly or indirectly—to the survival of organisms ranging from bacteria to mammals ((Figure)). As primary producers, protists feed a large proportion of the world’s aquatic species.