Fungi and Protista: Characteristics and Differentiation

In 1969, R.H. Whittaker proposed a five-kingdom classification. The five-kingdom system is based on specific characteristics such as nutrition, thallus organization, cell structure and reproduction. The kingdom’s classification resulted in five kingdoms: Plantae (the plants); Fungi (fungus and related organisms); Animalia (the animals); Monera (the prokaryotes); Protista (the single-celled eukaryotes).

The Kingdom Monera includes all bacteria, including cyanobacteria. The Kingdom Protista includes protozoa and diatoms. All bacteria, most Protista, and many fungi are microscopic, which is why they are often called microorganisms.

Here are the characteristics of Protista and Fungi

Kingdom Protista

• Protists are unicellular eukaryotes. It includes protozoa, diatoms, and unicellular algae

• They contain membrane-bound organelles, such as a nucleus with mitochondria and chromosomes, a nuclear membrane, mitochondria, chloroplast (in photosynthetic protists), Golgi body, and an endoplasmic retina

• The respiratory organelles are called mitochondria

• Protists can be photosynthetic, parasitic, or saprotrophic. Saprophytic protists like slime moulds can obtain nutrition from the surrounding organic matter by releasing their enzymes

• Protista might have cilia, or flagella, for locomotion. This is in contrast to bacteria which only contain one spirally coiled protein called flagellin

• They reproduce both sexually and asexually

• Some protists are beneficial for humans, while others can be harmful

Kingdom Fungi

• Fungi can be heterotrophic unicellular and multicellular eukaryotes

• Hyphae are slender filament-like threads that fungi live in. Hyphae can be multi-celled, one-celled, or one-celled. It also has one or more nuclei. However, yeast is uninucleate and single-celled

• Chitin is used to make their cell walls

• Partitions known as septa can be used to divide a hypha into cells

Difference between Protists and Fungi

• Protista is typically unicellular, while fungi are multicellular

• Protista is usually not visible with naked eyes. A microscope is required. Multicellular fungi, however, are possible to see. They can therefore be seen through the naked eye

• The Protista can eat almost any type of nutrition, while fungi are limited to either a saprophytic or heterotrophic form

• While only a few protists possess a cell wall, all fungi have one. The cell walls of fungi do not contain cellulose

• Binary fission is the method used by protists to reproduce sexually, while spore formation is used for fungi

• The protists do not have septa, but the fungi do. Septa divides fungal hyphae into compartments

• The Protista includes molds, algae, and Protozoans, while seven phyla are available for fungi
• Examples of the Protista include slime molds and dinoflagellates, amoeba, slime molds, green algae, and dinoflagellates. Yeast, Mushroom, Penicillium, however, are examples

We must first understand Kingdom Monera’s characteristics in order to distinguish between Protista and Fungi:

Kingdom Monera

• Include the bacteria and cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae

• Monera is the prokaryotic kingdom, as only bacteria can be considered prokaryotic (having a nucleus that is able to produce a true nuclear structure)

• Bacteria were the first cell organism to develop on Earth after the origin of life around 3.5 billion years ago. They were also the only cell organism on Earth for the next two billion years

• While bacteria are primarily single-celled and unicellular, actinomycetes, cyanobacteria, and other cyanobacteria are multicellular, filamentous, and can have filaments that may be branched

• The most abundant living cell organism, monerans, is also one of the most numerous

Difference between Monera, Protista, and Fungi

• Protists can be either unicellular or multicellular, while fungi can be multicellular. The monerans, however, are unicellular organisms

• Monerans are smaller organisms than protists. Both protists and Monerans are usually smaller than fungi

• Monera is simpler than protists or fungi

• Protists and monerans are rarely visible with naked eyes. One will need a microscope. However, multicellular fungi can be seen. These fungi can be seen with the naked eye

• Monera can be either autotrophic or heterotrophic. Protists can be holozoic or photosynthetic, or parasitic. While fungi can only live in a saprophytic form, they are also able to grow on a heterotrophic basis

• Only a few protists have a cell wall. However, all fungi do. The cell walls of fungi do not contain cellulose. Monera does not have a well-defined cell wall

• The Monera does not contain membrane-bound organelles. However, membrane-bound organelles such as plastids and Golgi apparatus can be found in Protista or fungi

• The majority of Monera do not contain flagella, pseudopodia, or cilia. They are not found in fungi. The flagella, pseudopodia, and cilia are, however, present in the Protista. They facilitate locomotion

• Protists use binary fission to reproduce sexually. Spore formation is used for fungi. Monera can reproduce asexually by budding or binary fission

• Monera and the protists do not have septa. However, the fungi do. Septa divides fungal hyphae into compartment

• Protista is made up of molds, algae, and protozoans. The seven phyla that makeup fungi are seven, while Monera contains Archaebacteria and Eubacteria

The Protista includes slime molds and dinoflagellates, as well as slime molds and green algae. Fungi include Penicillium and mushrooms. The Monera Kingdom includes Sphorobacter and Bacillus, as well as mycobacteria.