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Related Concept Videos

The Soil Ecosystem02:23

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Plants obtain inorganic minerals and water from the soil, which acts as a natural medium for land plants. The composition and quality of soil depend not only on the chemical constituents but also on the presence of living organisms. In general, soils contain three major components:
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Rhizaria are a diverse group of unicellular protists characterized by their threadlike cytoplasmic extensions known as pseudopodia. These structures aid in both locomotion and feeding, giving Rhizaria an amoeboid appearance. Their amoeboid morphology once led to taxonomic confusion, but molecular phylogenetics has clarified their evolutionary placement and emphasized their shared use of pseudopodia despite divergent lineages.This clade comprises diverse lineages such as Chlorarachniophyta,...
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Excavata is a diverse group of protists that includes both chemoorganotrophic and phototrophic species, with some thriving in anaerobic environments. Among the key groups within Excavata are diplomonads and parabasalids, which are flagellated protists that lack mitochondria and chloroplasts. These microorganisms typically inhabit anoxic environments, such as the intestines of animals, where they exist either symbiotically or as parasites, relying on fermentation for energy production. Some...
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Alveolates are a group of organisms recognized by the presence of alveoli, which are cytoplasmic sacs located beneath the cell membrane. While their function remains uncertain, alveoli may help regulate water balance by controlling how much water enters and leaves the cell. In dinoflagellates, these structures may serve as armor plates. There are three major types of alveolates: ciliates, which move using cilia; dinoflagellates, which use flagella for movement; and apicomplexans, which are...
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Protists are diverse eukaryotic microorganisms that lack the specialized tissues of plants and animals and the chitinous cell walls of fungi. Their early divergence within Eukarya resulted in structural, functional, and ecological diversity. They are classified into supergroups such as Archaeplastida, Excavata, Amoebozoa, Rhizaria, Alveolata, and Stramenopiles, determined through genetic analysis and structural similarities.Structural and Functional AdaptationsProtists have various adaptations...
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Amoebozoa represent a diverse group of terrestrial and aquatic protists that utilize lobe-shaped pseudopodia for locomotion and feeding. This characteristic differentiates them from the Rhizaria, which possess threadlike pseudopodia. The primary classifications within Amoebozoa include gymnamoebas, entamoebas, and the plasmodial and cellular slime molds. Phylogenetic evidence indicates that Amoebozoa diverged from a lineage that ultimately gave rise to fungi and animals.Gymnamoebas and...
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Separation and Identification of Conventional Microplastics from Farmland Soils
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Microplastic and soil protists: A call for research.

Matthias C Rillig1, Michael Bonkowski2

  • 1Freie Universität Berlin, Institut für Biologie, Altensteinstr. 6, D-14195, Berlin, Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), D-14195, Berlin, Germany.

Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
|July 22, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Soil protists ingest microplastics, potentially introducing these emerging contaminants into the soil food web. Further research is needed on microplastic impacts on soil protist communities and functions.

Keywords:
AmoebaeCiliatesFlagellatesPlasticProtistSoilSoil food web

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Area of Science:

  • Soil ecology
  • Environmental toxicology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Microplastics are a growing global soil contaminant due to slow degradation.
  • Soil protists are crucial bacterial consumers and potential pathways for microplastic transfer in soil food webs.
  • Limited research exists on microplastic effects on soil biota, particularly soil protists.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the importance of soil protists in microplastic research.
  • To review existing data on microplastic uptake by various soil protist taxa.
  • To advocate for future research on microplastic impacts in a pollution ecology context.

Main Methods:

  • Review of previous studies on phagocytosis in protist taxa using polystyrene latex beads (microspheres).
  • Analysis of data on microplastic bead uptake by soil-borne taxa like ciliates, flagellates, and amoebae.
  • Consideration of factors influencing microplastic particle uptake, including species, physiological state, and particle size.

Main Results:

  • Various soil protist taxa, including ciliates, flagellates, and amoebae, can ingest microplastic beads in the micrometer size range.
  • Uptake of microplastic beads by protists is influenced by species-specific traits, physiological condition, and particle characteristics.
  • Protists, acting as filter feeders or engulfing predators, can internalize microplastic particles.

Conclusions:

  • Soil protists are capable of ingesting microplastics, positioning them as key players in microplastic's entry into soil food webs.
  • There is a critical need to investigate microplastic effects on soil protist communities and their ecological functions.
  • Future research should encompass diverse microplastic types, realistic soil conditions, and long-term exposure scenarios within a pollution ecology framework.