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8.9: Rhizaria

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    43902
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    The Rhizaria supergroup includes many of the amoebas, most of which have threadlike or needle-like pseudopodia (ammonia tepida, a Rhizaria species, can be seen in Figure 1).

    The micrograph shows a semi-round cell with long, hair-like projections extending from it.
    Figure 1. Ammonia Tepida, under a phase contrasty light microscope (credit: modification of work by Scott Fay, UC Berkeley; scale-bar data from Matt Russell)

    Pseudopodia function to trap and engulf food particles and to direct movement in rhizarian protists. These pseudopods project outward from anywhere on the cell surface and can anchor to a substrate. The protist then transports its cytoplasm into the pseudopod, thereby moving the entire cell. This type of motion, called cytoplasmic streaming, is used by several diverse groups of protists as a means of locomotion or as a method to distribute nutrients and oxygen.

    Take a look at this video to see cytoplasmic streaming in a green alga. Note that there is no audio in this video.

    Thumbnail for the embedded element "Cytoplasmic Streaming Chara corallina"

    A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: pb.libretexts.org/biom2/?p=260

    Forams

    The photo shows small, white shells that look like clamshells, and shell fragments. Each cell is about 0.25 mm across.
    Figure 2. These shells from foraminifera sank to the sea floor. (credit: Deep East 2001, NOAA/OER)

    Foraminiferans, or forams, are unicellular heterotrophic protists, ranging from approximately 20 micrometers to several centimeters in length, and occasionally resembling tiny snails (Figure 2).

    As a group, the forams exhibit porous shells, called tests that are built from various organic materials and typically hardened with calcium carbonate. The tests may house photosynthetic algae, which the forams can harvest for nutrition. Foram pseudopodia extend through the pores and allow the forams to move, feed, and gather additional building materials. Typically, forams are associated with sand or other particles in marine or freshwater habitats. Foraminiferans are also useful as indicators of pollution and changes in global weather patterns.

    Radiolarians

    A second subtype of Rhizaria, the radiolarians, exhibit intricate exteriors of glassy silica with radial or bilateral symmetry (Figure 3). Needle-like pseudopods supported by microtubules radiate outward from the cell bodies of these protists and function to catch food particles. The shells of dead radiolarians sink to the ocean floor, where they may accumulate in 100 meter-thick depths. Preserved, sedimented radiolarians are very common in the fossil record.

    The micrograph shows a tear drop-shaped white structure reminiscent of a shell. The structure is hollow and perfused with circular holes.
    Figure 3. This fossilized radiolarian shell was imaged using a scanning electron microscope. (credit: modification of work by Hannes Grobe, Alfred Wegener Institute; scale-bar data from Matt Russell)

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