Protozoa or Cornelius protozoans (from Greek proton proton "first" and ζῷα zoa "animals"; singular protozoon; (the word "protozoan" is originally an adjective, used as a noun) are microorganisms classified as unicellular eukaryotes.
While there is no exact definition of the term "protozoan", most scientists use the word to refer to a unicellular heterotrophic protist, such as an amoeba or a ciliate. The term algae is used for microorganisms that ...
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Protozoa or Cornelius protozoans (from Greek proton proton "first" and ζῷα zoa "animals"; singular protozoon; (the word "protozoan" is originally an adjective, used as a noun) are microorganisms classified as unicellular eukaryotes.
While there is no exact definition of the term "protozoan", most scientists use the word to refer to a unicellular heterotrophic protist, such as an amoeba or a ciliate. The term algae is used for microorganisms that photosynthesize. However, the distinction between protozoa and algae is often vague. For example, the alga Dinobryon has chloroplasts for photosynthesis, but it can also feed on organic matter and is motile. Many people refer to them as animal-like protists.
Protozoa are paraphyletic. Though they have sometimes been described as a subkingdom or phylum, they do not constitute a formal taxon in modern classification systems.
Protozoa usually range from 10–50 μm, but can grow up to 1 mm, and are easily seen under a microscope. They move around...
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