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Ch. 28 - Protists
Chapter 28, Problem 4

According to the phylogeny presented in this chapter, which protists are in the same eukaryotic supergroup as plants? a. green algae b. dinoflagellates c. red algae d. both A and C

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Eukaryotic Supergroups

Eukaryotic supergroups are large taxonomic categories that group together various eukaryotic organisms based on genetic and evolutionary relationships. The main supergroups include Archaeplastida, SAR, Excavata, and others. Understanding these supergroups helps in identifying the evolutionary lineage of organisms, including plants and their relatives.
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Overview of the Four Supergroups of Eukaryotes

Archaeplastida

Archaeplastida is a eukaryotic supergroup that includes plants, green algae, and red algae. This group is characterized by the presence of plastids, which are organelles involved in photosynthesis. The evolutionary significance of Archaeplastida lies in its role as the ancestor of land plants, making it crucial for understanding plant evolution.
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Excavata and Archaeplastida (Plantae)

Phylogeny

Phylogeny refers to the evolutionary history and relationships among species or groups of organisms. It is often depicted in a phylogenetic tree, which illustrates how different species are related through common ancestors. Understanding phylogeny is essential for answering questions about the classification and evolutionary connections between protists and other eukaryotes.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Plastids that are surrounded by more than two membranes are evidence of a. evolution from mitochondria. b. fusion of plastids. c. origin of the plastids from archaea. d. secondary endosymbiosis.

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Textbook Question

Biologists think that endosymbiosis gave rise to mitochondria before plastids partly because a. the products of photosynthesis could not be metabolized without mitochondrial enzymes. b. all eukaryotes have mitochondria (or their remnants), whereas many eukaryotes do not have plastids. c. mitochondrial DNA is less similar to prokaryotic DNA than is plastid DNA. d. without mitochondrial CO2 production, photosynthesis could not occur.

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Textbook Question

Which group is correctly paired with its description?


A. diatoms—important consumers in aquatic communities

B. diplomonads—protists with modified mitochondria

C. apicomplexans—producers with intricate life cycles

D. red algae—acquired plastids by secondary endosymbiosis


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Textbook Question

In a life cycle with alternation of generations, multicellular haploid forms alternate with a. unicellular haploid forms. b. unicellular diploid forms. c. multicellular haploid forms. d. multicellular diploid forms.

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Textbook Question

Based on the phylogenetic tree in Figure 28.5, which of the following statements is correct? (A)Excavata and SAR form a sister group. (B)The most recent common ancestor of SAR is older than that of Unikonta. (C)The most basal (first to diverge) eukaryotic supergroup cannot be determined. (D)Excavata is the most basal eukaryotic supergroup.


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Textbook Question

EVOLUTION CONNECTION • DRAW IT Medical researchers seek to develop drugs that can kill or restrict the growth of human pathogens yet have few harmful effects on patients. These drugs often work by disrupting the metabolism of the pathogen or by targeting its structural features. Draw and label a phylogenetic tree that includes an ancestral prokaryote and the following groups of organisms: Excavata, SAR, Archaeplastida, Unikonta, and, within Unikonta, amoebozoans, animals, choanoflagellates, fungi, and nucleariids. Based on this tree, hypothesize whether it would be most difficult to develop drugs to combat human pathogens that are prokaryotes, protists, animals, or fungi. (You do not need to consider the evolution of drug resistance by the pathogen.)


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