chromista
n.
[The name Chromista means "colored"].
They are photosynthetic, but chromists are not closely related to plants, or other algae. In difference to plants, the Chromista have chlorophyll c, and do not store energy in the form of starch. Photosynthetic chromists often carry various pigments in addition to chlorophyll, which are not found in plants. It is these pigments which give them their characteristic brown or golden color. Some of the organisms which fall into this classification are microscopic diatoms.
| Taxonomic Hierarchy | |
| Kingdom | Chromista |
| Direct Children: | |
| Subkingdom | Chromista |
Chromista, Taxonomic Serial No.: 630578
Chromista, Taxonomic Serial No.: 590735
| Taxonomic Hierarchy | |
| Kingdom | Chromista |
| Subkingdom | Chromista |
| Direct Children: | |
| Division | Bacillariophyta – diatoms |
| Division | Chrysophyta – golden-brown algae |
| Division | Cryptophycophyta |
| Division | Haptophyta |
| Division | Phaeophyta – brown algae |
| Division | Pyrrophycophyta – dinoflagellates |
| Division | Xanthophyta – yellow-green algae |
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References
"For many years, photosynthetic chromists were classified as plants, while non-photosynthetic chromists were classified with the fungi or animals. The close relationship among chromists was not fully appreciated until the rise of ultrastructural and molecular studies. For instance, it is now known that chlorophyll "c" and a number of other pigments found in the Chromista are not found in any plant group, but occur in a number of photosynthetic chromist taxa. There are also peculiarities of the flagella, plastids, and genetic arrangement which are not found in any other group.
The Chromista appear to represent an independent evolutionary line that diverged from the same common ancestor as plants, fungi, and animals. It was for this reason that the new kingdom Chromista was proposed."
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