One of the kingdoms in the domain Eukarya is Protista.

Protists are all eukaryotes that cannot be classified in the

kingdoms animalia, plantae, or fungi. They can be unicellular or
multicellular. Protists can be an autotroph, heterotroph, or as in
some cases, both. They are classified based n how they move and
live. Protists generally live in moist surroundings. Some protists
are responsible for human diseases including malaria. Protists are
a diverse group of organisms.


One group of protists is the animal-like protists, or
protozoans. All protozoans are unicellular and are heterotrophs.
All protozoans also are able to move at some point in their lives.
They can move in three ways, with flagella, cilia, or by the use of
pseudopods. Protozoans get food by absorbing it through their
cell membrane, where it is digested in food vacuoles. They can
reproduce sexually, as well as asexually. These protists share a
large amount of characteristics with animals.


Plant-like protists, more commonly referred to as algae,
share characteristics with plants. They can be unicellular or
multicellular. They are mostly autotrophic, but can be
heterotrophs. Plant-like protists contain chloroplasts, as well as
chlorophyll, which help them to perform photosynthesis, but they
lack several organ found in plants. They also have pigment to
help them attract light. Nearly all algae produce oxygen. Plant-
like protists are similar to, but not quite a plant.


Another group of protists are the fungus-like protists. They
are all heterotrophs that at some point of their lives must able to
move. These protists have cell walls and use spores in order to
reproduce. They can act as decomposers, breaking down dead
organisms and releasing materials useful to other organisms into
the air. There are three types of fungus-like protists: water molds,
slime molds, and downy mildews. Fungus-like protists are very
similar to fungi.










The amoeba, or Amoeba proteus is a protozoan that falls under the phylum
sarcodina. It moves by the means of a pseudopod, meaning false foot. These
pseudopods also help the amoeba eat. Two pseudopods surround the food molecule,
and then close around it, pushing it through the cell membrane. Amoebas live in
freshwater or soil and feed on bacteria or smaller protists. They usually reproduce
using binary fission. When conditions are unfavorable, the amoeba can create a cyst.