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Questions and Answers
Where does Protozoa fit into the life spectrum?
Where does Protozoa fit into the life spectrum?
- Protista (correct)
- Fungi
- Animalia
- Plantae
What are the basic defining characteristics of protozoa?
What are the basic defining characteristics of protozoa?
Unicellular, Eukaryotes, Motile
Match the protozoan grouping with the locomotion type:
Match the protozoan grouping with the locomotion type:
Flagellates = Flagellated movement Amoebae = Pseudopodal movement Sporozoa = Non-motile Ciliates = Ciliary movement
Protozoa multiply quickly in tissues causing severe acute __________.
Protozoa multiply quickly in tissues causing severe acute __________.
Ciliates possess two nuclei: a macronucleus for sexual reproduction and a micronucleus for basic cellular functions.
Ciliates possess two nuclei: a macronucleus for sexual reproduction and a micronucleus for basic cellular functions.
Which protozoan group contains phytoflagellates and zooflagellates?
Which protozoan group contains phytoflagellates and zooflagellates?
What is the primary mode of transmission for Trypanosoma brucei?
What is the primary mode of transmission for Trypanosoma brucei?
Which disease is caused by Plasmodium spp. transmitted through insect-vectors?
Which disease is caused by Plasmodium spp. transmitted through insect-vectors?
Protozoa can cause diseases like paralytic shellfish poisoning and massive fish kills.
Protozoa can cause diseases like paralytic shellfish poisoning and massive fish kills.
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Study Notes
Overview of Protozoa
- Protists, also called protozoa, represent a tremendous phylogenetic diversity with many major phylogenetic groupings.
- Basic defining characteristics of protozoa: • Unicellular • Eukaryotes • Motile
Grouping of Protozoa
- Based on locomotion: • Flagellates • Ciliates • Sporozoa • Amoebae
Amoebae
- Rhizopods (lobopodia, filopodia) and Actinopods (axopodia)
- Free-living bactivores and commensals/parasites
- Entamoeba histolytica (amoebic dysentery): • Fecal-Oral transmission • Feeding trophozoite and exogenous cyst • Histolysis (soft tissue abscesses)
Flagellates
- Phytoflagellates (with chloroplasts) and Zooflagellates (without chloroplasts)
- (Free-living) and (commensals/parasites)
- Giardia spp. (diarrhea): • Fecal-Oral transmission • Feeding trophozoite and exogenous cysts • Belong to Diplomonads class
- Trypanosoma brucei (sleeping sickness): • Transmission: Insect-vector (Tsetse fly) • Belong to Kinetoplastids class • Named for the presence of kinetoplast
Dinoflagellates
- Diverse marine and freshwater phototrophic organisms
- Associated with fish kills and human poisoning
- Pfiesteria piscicida is a genus of toxic dinoflagellate responsible for massive fish kills
Ciliates
- Possess cilia at some stage of their life
- Use cilia for motility and to obtain food
- Ciliates have two nuclei: • Macronucleus: regulates basic cellular functions (growth and feeding) • Micronucleus: sexual reproduction
- Commensal or animal parasites
- Balantidium coli (diarrhea): • Fecal-Oral transmission • Feeding trophozoite and exogenous cyst • Colonic ulceration
Sporozoa
- Apicomplexans: Obligate parasites of animals
- Cause severe diseases: • Malaria - Plasmodium spp. • Toxoplasmosis - Toxoplasma • Coccidiosis - Eimeria
- Contain apicoplasts: degenerate chloroplasts that lack pigments and phototrophic capacity
- Plasmodium spp. (malaria): • Transmission: Insect-vector • Schizonts/gamonts and ookinetes/sporozoites • Cerebral haemozoin (pigment) deposits
Tissue Coccidia (Lesions)
- Prey-predator transmission
- Tissue cysts in intermediate host and oocysts in definitive host
- Toxoplasma - cats
- Neospora - dogs
- Sarcocystis - mixed
- Abortifacient and tissue cysts in human brain
Enteric Coccidia (Diarrhea)
- Fecal-Oral transmission
- Endogenous schizonts and exogenous cyst
- Eimeria - herbivores
- Isospora - carnivores
- Cryptosporidium - mixed
- Mucosal pathology diarrhea
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