Question

Explain how locomotion behaviour works to move each protist example from one place to another (3 marks).

Compare these 3 behaviours, touching on what they might have in common and whether studying these mechanisms might shed any light on cellular or other kinds of movement in plants, animals or fungi (4 marks).

Answer 1

Locomotary behaviors in protists-

1) ciliated movements - eg. Paramoecium shows ciliated movements with large number of cilia present all over the body of the cell. The show rowing pattern for moving and require the help of cytoskeleon present in cell and use ATP.Microtubules involved.

2) Flagellates- eg. Trypanosoma, they use flagella for the movement. It's movement is swirling movement and help in moving forward. It is large and long , 2-8 in numbers and positioned at specific locations only in the cell.Microtubules involved.

3) Amoeboid - eg Amoeba and entamoeba histolitica, they show Amoeboid movement using pseudopodia formation. This is formed with the help of cytoskeleton structures called microfilaments.

THESE movements have in common the eukaryotic cytoskeleton and use of ATP as energy source.

Such movements are also seen in other plant , animals, and fungi also.

For eg. Synchitrium show movement by fungi.

Many sperms of bryophytes pteridophytes are Flagellates- and multiciliated also like in cycas. In animals also it is seen.