Question

which of the following describes a way that protists differ from animals and plants?

a. protists are single celled organisms.

b. animals and plants do not resemble protists.

c. protists are typically much larger than most plants and animals.

d. different species of protists do not differ greatly from one another.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: Protists are mostly single - celled, while animals (multicellular, with some exceptions like single - celled parasites but mostly multicellular) and plants (multicellular, with some exceptions like algae but land plants are multicellular) are mostly multicellular. This is a key difference.
• Option B: Some protists resemble animals (like protozoa) or plants (like algae), so this is incorrect.
• Option C: Protists are typically microscopic, much smaller than most plants and animals, so this is incorrect.
• Option D: Different species of protists can differ greatly (e.g., protozoa vs. algae), so this is incorrect.

Answer:

A. Protists are single - celled organisms.