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In the Volvocine lineage the species of interest is Gonium. This 8- or 16-cell colony represents one of the first steps to true multicellularity, [49] presumed to have evolved from the unicellular common ancestor earlier than other Volvocine algae. [50] It is also the first to show cell differentiation. [26]
[4] [5] Although most protists are unicellular, there is a considerable range of multicellularity amongst them; some form colonies or multicellular structures visible to the naked eye. The term 'protist' refers to all eukaryotes that are not animals, plants or fungi, the three traditional eukaryotic kingdoms.
Many protists reproduce sexually, as do many multicellular plants, animals, and fungi. In the eukaryotic fossil record, sexual reproduction first appeared about 2.0 billion years ago in the Proterozoic Eon, [64] [65] although a later date, 1.2 billion years ago, has also been presented.
Many protist species can switch between asexual reproduction and sexual reproduction involving meiosis and fertilization. [6] In contrast to the cells of prokaryotes, the cells of eukaryotes are highly organised. Plants, animals and fungi are usually multi-celled and are typically macroscopic. Most protists are single-celled and microscopic.
[5] [6] As eukaryotes, protists possess within their cell at least one nucleus, as well as organelles such as mitochondria and Golgi bodies. Many protists are asexual but can reproduce rapidly through mitosis or by fragmentation; others (including foraminifera) may reproduce either sexually or asexually. [7]
Protistology is a scientific discipline devoted to the study of protists, a highly diverse group of eukaryotic organisms. All eukaryotes apart from animals, plants and fungi are considered protists. [1]
Protists are a large group of diverse eukaryotic microorganisms, mainly unicellular animals and plants, that do not form tissues. [8] The earliest eukaryotes were likely protists. Mating and sexual reproduction are widespread among extant eukaryotes including protists such as Paramecium and Chlamydomonas.
Protists reproduce asexually or sexually. If the protists reproduce asexually, they do so through binary fission, multiple fission, budding, and fragmentation. If the protists reproduce sexually, they do so through a syngamy process where there is a fusion of the gametes. If this occurs in an individual it is recognized as autogamy.