The Kingdom Protista – Biology Poster, 38×26″
by American Educational Products

In historical classification, life was separated into kingdoms, with similar organisms grouped together into Monera (lacking cell nuclei), Plants, Animals, Fungi, and Protists. The Kingdom Protist was a difficult one to classify, as the only general rule used to determine what fit into it was that the be unicellular organisms. As technology grew more advanced and genetics began to emerge, the organization of Protists got better through the use of common ancestry and monophyletic grouping, leading to its eventual division into four kingdoms: Amoebozoa, Chromalveolata, Rhizaria and Excavata. While a vast number of organisms were reclassified under those kingdoms, others still were reclassified as plants.

The one thing that all of these organisms have in common is that they have eukaryotic cells, meaning they have an organized nucleus, internal membranes, and “typical” organelles like mitochondria. While single-celled, they can often be found in large colonies living together.

This chart depicts 8 different members of the former Kingdom Protista. Each one is shown beneath the microscope at a magnification that allows for the best viewing of the more intricate details of these tiny lifeforms. Each one is accompanied by a brief description of its place in the world.