A large variety of plant-like protists are collectively known as:

• A. Bacteria
• B. Algae
• C. Fungi
• D. Protozoa

Answer: (B)

Plant-like protists are organisms that perform photosynthesis, supplying energy to aquatic ecosystems, yet they aren’t true plants. The term that groups these diverse photosynthetic protists is algae. Algae span a wide range of forms—from single-celled organisms like Chlamydomonas to large seaweeds like kelp—yet they share the common trait of capturing light energy to make food. Bacteria are prokaryotes, not protists, so they don’t fall under this plant-like protist group. Fungi are absorptive, mostly non-photosynthetic organisms with chitin in their cell walls, distinct from algae. Protozoa are animal-like protists that typically ingest food rather than photosynthesize, so they’re not plant-like either. Thus, the large variety of plant-like protists is best described collectively as algae.