Chapter 19, Problem 7A

Summary Introduction

Introduction :

Organisms belonging to the Kingdom Protista are eukaryotes. A eukaryotic organism or a eukaryotic cell is characterized by the presence of membrane-bound organelles and the presence of the 80S ribosome. Although these organisms are eukaryotes, they are not considered as fungi, plants, or animals as they follow a different mode of reproduction.

Answer to Problem 7A

Correct answer :

The correct answer is option (b) Eukaryotic.

Explanation of Solution

Explanation/justification for the correct answer :

Option (b) eukaryotic. The organism shown in the given figure does not have any structure like flagella or cilia that assist in motility. There is also a prominent cell wall with a symmetrical arrangement of the cells. Also, there is a connecting bridge between the two halves of a cell. These are the characteristic of Desmids that are a type of unicellular algae. Algae are the plant-like protists and thus are eukaryotic. So, the correct answer is option (b).

Explanation for incorrect answer :

Option (a) acellular. Acellular organisms are the ones that do not have a proper cellular structure. The given picture is of a Desmid which are unicellular organisms and falls under the category algae. So, this is an incorrect option.

Option (c) multicellular. Multicellular organisms are the ones in which multiple cells work together in a coordinated manner and carry out all the functions of the organism. The given figure is of a Desmid which is a type of unicellular algae. So, this is an incorrect answer.

Option (d) prokaryotic. Prokaryotic organisms are the ones that do not have any membrane bound-organelles and fall under the Kingdom Monera. The given picture is of a Desmid that falls under the category of unicellular algae which are eukaryotic organisms. So, this is an incorrect answer.