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

Protist, any member of a group of diverse eukaryotic, predominantly unicellular microscopic organisms. They may share certain morphological and physiological characteristics with animals or plants or both.

Aug 5, 2025 · The term “protist” might sound like a placeholder—and in many ways, it is. It’s not a name for a single group of closely related organisms, but rather a convenient bin for everything that doesn’t …

Dec 23, 2025 · Have you ever examined pond water under a microscope? Did you see small organisms gliding around? If so, you saw a protist. Protists make up a large group of eukaryotic organisms on …

Feb 2, 2023 · Protists are the oldest eukaryotic microorganisms, having a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles. Since they do not wholly fit into other groups like plants, animals, bacteria, or …

: any of a kingdom of organisms that resemble plants or animals or both, are one-celled and sometimes colonial or less often many-celled, and that typically include the protozoans, most algae, and often …

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 biological …

The term "protist" is a general description for eukaryotic organisms that are not animal, plant, or fungus. These organisms were formerly classified in Kingdom Protista.

Because the name “protist” serves as a catchall term for eukaryotic organisms that are not animal, plant, or fungi, it is not surprising that very few characteristics are common to all protists. On the other …

Protists are a heterogeneous group of living organisms, comprising those eukaryotes that are not animals, plants, or fungi. In systems of biological classification, they usually are treated as the …