Dinoflagellate

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/dinoflagellate

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Dinoflagellata (a phylum within the Alveolata superphylum)
2. What is the habitat?Marine and freshwater environments globally, from surface waters to deeper zones
3. What are dinoflagellates and how big are they?Dinoflagellates are tiny single‑cell ocean creatures that are about 20 to 200 micrometers long, much smaller than a human hair.
4. How do dinoflagellates move?They move with two flagella: a ribbon‑like one inside a groove and a whip‑like one that sticks out, letting them swim in many directions.

Theca: A complex outer covering of cellulose plates found in many dinoflagellates, providing structural support.
Mesokaryon: A dinoflagellate nucleus characterized by permanently condensed chromosomes and lacking typical histones.
Mixotrophic: An organism that can obtain energy and nutrients from both photosynthesis and by consuming other organisms.