Protista jsou jednobuněčné, ale i mnohobuněčné eukaryotické organismy, které nejsou živočichové, vyšší rostliny nebo houby. Protista tvoří naprostou většinu „hluboké“ eukaryotické diverzity, což vedlo k zásadní změně systému eukaryot ve 21. století. Výzkum protist je nezbytný pro pochopení vzniku eukaryotické buňky. V současnosti je známo přibližně 80 000 druhů protist, jejich skutečná diverzita je však mnohem vyšší.

Citovaná literatura:

ADL, Sina M., et al. Revisions to the classification, nomenclature, and diversity of eukaryotes. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology, 2019, 66.1: 4-119.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30257078/
BETTS, Holly C., et al. Integrated genomic and fossil evidence illuminates life’s early evolution and eukaryote origin. Nature ecology & evolution, 2018, 2.10: 1556.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30127539
YUBUKI, Naoji; LEANDER, Brian S. Evolution of microtubule organizing centers across the tree of eukaryotes. The Plant Journal, 2013, 75.2: 230-244.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23398214
PAWLOWSKI, Jan, et al. CBOL protist working group: barcoding eukaryotic richness beyond the animal, plant, and fungal kingdoms. PLoS biology, 2012, 10.11: e1001419.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23139639
FLEGONTOVA, Olga, et al. Extreme diversity of diplonemid eukaryotes in the ocean. Current Biology, 2016, 26.22: 3060-3065.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27875689

Protists are unicellular but also multicellular eukaryotic organisms that are not animals, land plants, or fungi. Protists make up the vast majority of deep evolutionary lineages of eukaryotes, which led to fundamental changes in eukaryotic taxonomy in the 21st century. Research into protists is essential for understanding the origin of the eukaryotic cell. Approximately 80 000 species of protists have been described. Their real diversity is, however, certainly much higher.