INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY - H. I. Shcherbak - 2008

PROTISTS - PROTISTA

PROTOZOA

ALVEOLATES

Alveolates comprise three major phyla: Dinoflagellates (Dinophyta), Ciliates (Ciliophora), and Apicomplexans (Apicomplexa). They are characterized by the presence of tubular cristae in their Cell/35.html">Mitochondria and a specialized cell covering—the pellicle—formed by alveoli situated beneath the Plasmalemma (hence the name of the group). It is currently hypothesized that Sporozoans and ciliates evolved from autotrophic ancestors and secondarily lost their METABOLISM/14.html">Chloroplasts.



Last update: 13/08/2026

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