Do Protists have a cell wall?

Protists are mostly unicellular organisms that move using cilia, flagella, or amoeboid movement. While most protists lack a cell wall, some do possess one. They contain organelles, including a nucleus, and some have chloroplasts, which makes a few of them green. Although generally small, many protists are large enough to be seen under a microscope or even with a magnifying glass. They obtain nutrients through photosynthesis, ingestion of other organisms, or a combination of both.

The term “protist” was coined by Ernst Haeckel. Traditionally, protists were classified into groups based on similarities to plants, animals, or fungi:

• Protozoa – animal-like protists
• Algae – plant-like protists
• Slime molds and water molds – fungus-like protists

However, these traditional classifications, which relied on superficial traits, have largely been replaced by phylogenetic classifications based on evolutionary relationships.