Plankton and Protozoa

[Beetle guy]

 here is a link to DinoToy Forum with photo's of the set by member Sbell

http://dinotoyforum.proboards.com/thread/33/recent-acquisitions?page=420

[brontodocus]

here is a link to DinoToy Forum with photo's of the set by member Sbell

http://dinotoyforum.proboards.com/thread/33/recent-acquisitions?page=420

Ah, thanks! I had the feeling I hadn't made up that we were discussing the set when it was still available at Japanese auctions. Still a pity that I didin't acquire a set back then.

[sbell]

here is a link to DinoToy Forum with photo's of the set by member Sbell

http://dinotoyforum.proboards.com/thread/33/recent-acquisitions?page=420

Ah, thanks! I had the feeling I hadn't made up that we were discussing the set when it was still available at Japanese auctions. Still a pity that I didin't acquire a set back then.

It feels like I've had them so much longer! Andeven then, they were long out of production!

[bmathison1972]

Two more EISCO protozoa: Euglena and Paramecium:

[sbell]

Those are pretty cool. Although I am judging for the lack of scale bar or other references for size.

[bmathison1972]

Those are pretty cool. Although I am judging for the lack of scale bar or other references for size.

they are big; not quite as big as the Amoeba proteus, but those sheets of paper are standard US 8.5x11"

[bmathison1972]

...also, changing the name of this thread to Plankton and Protozoa so it covers all range of similar eukaryotes

[stemturtle]

Bmathison, your two new models provide instructive detail. The Paramecium shows the 2 nuceli. The Euglena demonstrates the location of the red eyespot next to the 2 flagella.

[sbell]

...also, changing the name of this thread to Plankton and Protozoa so it covers all range of similar eukaryotes

So no bacteria or viruses then? 

 

[stemturtle]

Giant amoeba (WizKids), height about 2 in. or 5 cm.
This is a collectible miniature from a game by WizKids called HorrorClix, available as an individual figure on eBay.


The card says that the amoeba represents an alien beast.


The rescued victim has been pried loose from the green plastic with a knife.
The scarcity of protozoan figures can lead to acts of recklessness. 
Now the giant amoeba may be identified as Chaos carolinense.


Comparison with Amoeba proteus (EISCO) shows that the pseudopods of Chaos carolinense are more pointed than they should be.

[bmathison1972]

Giant amoeba (WizKids), height about 2 in. or 5 cm.
This is a collectible miniature from a game by WizKids called HorrorClix, available as an individual figure on eBay.


The card says that the amoeba represents an alien beast.


The rescued victim has been pried loose from the green plastic with a knife.
The scarcity of protozoan figures can lead to acts of recklessness. 
Now the giant amoeba may be identified as Chaos carolinense.


Comparison with Amoeba proteus (EISCO) shows that the pseudopods of Chaos carolinense are more pointed than they should be.

Nice! With the removal of the distracting human this becomes a valid figure 

[stemturtle]

Bmathison, glad that you did not say that I'm the one who came unglued. 

[bmathison1972]

Bmathison, glad that you did not say that I'm the one who came unglued. 

haha I am looking into getting it myself (assuming I can cut out that human)

[brontodocus]

Aaah! It's The Blob! And it eats people. At least partially, look, his hands and feet have already been digested!

[Jetoar]

Really cool and educative. I Would have to see it in my school when I was a child.

[stemturtle]

Sargassum seaweed (fish removed), Kaiyodo Aquatales Series 2

Sargassum is a brown algae, like kelp, supergroup SAR (Stramenopiles, Alveolates, Rhizaria), a Stramenopile.
Previously classified in kingdom Protista.


Source of the seaweed: Sargassum fish, Histrio histrio

[widukind]

Interesting

[stemturtle]

Protists by Shapeways

Coccolithophore, diatom, dinoflagellate, foraminiferan, radiolarian



Coccolithus pelagicus, Shapeways by Ontogenie, 1.6 in. or 4.2 cm.
Unpainted to suggest chalk.
Coccolithophore, sister group to SAR, Haptophyta
These algae are protected by calcium carbonate plates that sink to lock carbon in the deep ocean, helping to reduce global warming. The White Cliffs of Dover, England are chalk beds that were formed by coccoliths during the Cretaceous.



Navicula bullata, Shapeways by orbyt design, 1.8 in. or 4.6 cm.
Frosted ultra detail.
Diatom, supergroup SAR, Stramenopiles
Abundant, photosynthetic algae, with a cell wall made of silica, are significant for oxygen production and are a foundation in many food chains.



Karenia brevis, Shapeways by Marine Microalgae Research Associates, 2.0 in. or 5.1 cm.
Dinoflagellate, supergroup SAR, Alveolates
Spinning with two flagella, these photosynthetic protists can overpopulate to create algal blooms called red tides, frequent in the Gulf of Mexico. Neurotoxins can kill marine organisms and poison humans who eat contaminated shellfish.



Lenticulina (syn. Cristellaria) calcar, Shapeways by Ontogenie, 2 in. or 5 cm.
Identification of this species is based on a drawing by Ernst Haeckel. The underside of the figure has not been sculpted in 3-D. The loop for a necklace has been removed.
Foraminifera, supergroup SAR, Rhizaria
Forams are amoebas with a calcium carbonate shell and thin pseudopodia, symbiotic with algae, and also feed on smaller microorganisms. Fossils are used for biostratigraphy, important in the exploration for oil.



Acrosphaera sp., Shapeways by BioLogic, 2 in. or 5 cm.
Radiolaria, supergroup SAR, Rhizaria
These amoebas with a silica skeleton and needle-like pseudopodia often contain symbiotic algae. Crushed shells of radiolarians form an ooze on the ocean floor and contribute to sandy beaches.


See a classification of Protista by supergroups posted by Mark Cooper, Mt. San Antonio College, Walnut, CA.

[bmathison1972]

thanks stemturtle; I never thought about Shapeways for protists!

By the way, here is a great reference for protest/eukaryotic classification and is what we are adopting in the clinical realm:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1550-7408.2012.00644.x/full

[stemturtle]

thanks stemturtle; I never thought about Shapeways for protists!

By the way, here is a great reference for protest/eukaryotic classification and is what we are adopting in the clinical realm:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1550-7408.2012.00644.x/full

Bmathison1972, thanks for the reference on classification. I like the promotion of Amoebozoa and Opisthokonta, changing the tally from 4 to 5 supergroups. Most recent revisions seem to accept this taxonomy. The image of a tree of life (figure 1) in the article shows that placement of many groups requires further research.