Protists are a diverse group of eukaryotes that are primarily single-celled and microscopic and exhibit a wide variety of shapes and life strategies.

The following groups contain protists. The clade Opisthokonta also contains the animals and the fungi, and the kingdom Archaeplastida also contains algae and plants.

Aug 5, 2025 · Protists challenge the idea that sophistication belongs only to multicellular organisms. Within their single cells, they perform tasks that rival those of whole animals and …

Nov 25, 2025 · During the past two decades, the field of molecular genetics has demonstrated that some protists are more related to animals, plants, or fungi than they are to other protists.

The ancestors of today’s multicellular eukaryotes are thought to have evolved about 1.5 billion years ago. Protists Eukaryotic organisms that did not fit the criteria for the kingdoms Animalia, …

protist , Any member of a kingdom (Protista) of diverse eukaryotes, including algae, protozoans, and lower fungi (see fungus).

The first is a phylogeny-based definition; that protists are all eukaryotes that are not animals, fungi, or land plants (Embryophyta). The second concept includes various definitions based on …

Jan 2, 2026 · In fact, protists feed a large portion of aquatic animals. For example, phytoplankton like green algae and diatoms are food for crabs, lobsters, small fish, and herring.

Aug 16, 2025 · Protists are a diverse group of eukaryotic microorganisms that are not animals, plants, or fungi. They are primarily single-celled, though some exist as colonies or multicellular …

Most protists are microscopic, unicellular organisms that are abundant in soil, freshwater, brackish, and marine environments. They are also common in the digestive tracts of animals …