Animal-like protists are characterized by having which of the following?

• A. Chloroplasts for photosynthesis
• B. Food vacuoles and heterotrophic nutrition
• C. Rigid cell walls made of cellulose
• D. Large central vacuoles

Answer: (B)

Animal-like protists, or protozoa, are defined by their heterotrophic nutrition and how they digest food. They obtain nutrients by ingesting other organisms or organic material and then break it down inside specialized compartments called food vacuoles. This ingested-food digestion in vacuoles is the hallmark that distinguishes them from plant-like protists, which carry out photosynthesis using chloroplasts.

Chloroplasts would imply photosynthesis, which isn’t typical for animal-like protists. Rigid cellulose cell walls are a plant-associated feature, not common in these protists. A large central vacuole is also characteristic of plant cells for storing water and maintaining turgor pressure, not of protozoa.