Are Protists Prokaryotic or Eukaryotic?

Reviewed by: BD Editors

Protists are eukaryotic organisms. Kingdom Protista contains all of the eukaryotic organisms that are not plants, animals, or fungi.

Are protists prokaryotic or eukaryotic?
Protists are eukaryotic organisms

Classification of Protists

Kingdom Protista contains a highly diverse group of organisms, with few similarities between them. Protists are classified as animal-like (protozoa), plant-like (algae), or fungi-like (molds) based on characteristics they share with animals, plants, and fungi.

Eukaryotic vs. Prokaryotic Cells

The main difference between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells is that eukaryotes contain membrane-bound organelles, whereas prokaryotes do not. As eukaryotic organisms, protists contain a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles such as endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. Most protists also contain mitochondria, and some contain chloroplasts for photosynthesis. Many fungi-like and plant-like protists also have a cell wall.

To learn more about the structure of protist cells, click here.

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Biologydictionary.net Editors. "Are Protists Prokaryotic or Eukaryotic?." Biology Dictionary, Biologydictionary.net, 26 Feb. 2021, https://biologydictionary.net/are-protists-prokaryotic-or-eukaryotic/.
Biologydictionary.net Editors. (2021, February 26). Are Protists Prokaryotic or Eukaryotic?. Retrieved from https://biologydictionary.net/are-protists-prokaryotic-or-eukaryotic/
Biologydictionary.net Editors. "Are Protists Prokaryotic or Eukaryotic?." Biology Dictionary. Biologydictionary.net, February 26, 2021. https://biologydictionary.net/are-protists-prokaryotic-or-eukaryotic/.

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