Protozoa characteristics

Examinations • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Protozoa What is Protozoa? Protozoa are unicellular, eukaryotic, heterotrophic organisms. They are either free-living or parasites. There are around 65000 species of protozoans categorised in different groups. They lack a cell wall. There are many different cell organelles, that perform various tasks performed by different organs in higher animals, e.g. mouth, anus, intestinal tract, etc. There are many protozoa, that cause various diseases in animals and humans, e.g. Plasmodium (malarial parasite), Trypanosoma (sleeping sickness), Trichomonas (trichomoniasis), etc. The protozoa have many stages in their life cycle. Some of the stages of the life cycle are infectious. The cyst stage is dormant and resistant to environmental stress, the trophozoite stage is reproductive and causes disease. Table of Content • • • • General Characteristics of Protozoa Habitat- Protozoa are found in the aquatic environment. They live in freshwater or oceans. Some are free-living and some are parasitic in plants and animals. Mostly they are aerobic but some are anaerobic and present in the rumen or human intestine. Some of the species are found in extreme environments like hot sp...

Euglena From the time of bce, until well after the middle of the 20th century, the entire biotic world was generally considered divisible into just two great kingdoms, the plants and the animals. The separation was based on the assumption that plants are pigmented (basically green), nonmotile (most commonly from being rooted in the When microscopy arose as a science in its own right, botanists and zoologists discovered evidence of the vast In 1860, however, British naturalist John Hogg took exception to the imposition of the plant and animal categories on the protists and proposed a fourth kingdom, named Protoctista (the other three kingdoms

All Subjects • Introduction to Microbiology • • • • The Chemical Basis of Microbiology • • • Microscopy • • • • Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes • • • • Microbial Metabolism • • • • Microbial Cultivation and Growth • • • • Control of Microbial Growth • • • • • Microbial Genetics • • • • • DNA and Gene Expression • • • • The Bacteria • • • • • • • The Viruses • • • The Fungi • • • • • • The Unicellular Algae • • • The Protozoa • • • The Host Parasite Relationship • • • The Development of Infectious Disease • • • • Nonspecific Body Defense • • • The Immune System • • • • • • • Disorders of the Immune System • • • Diseases of the Skin and Eyes • • • • • Diseases of the Nervous System • • • • Diseases Cardiovascular Lymphatic Systems • • • • Diseases of the Respiratory System • • • • Diseases of the Digestive System • • • • • Diseases of the Reproductive System • • • • Aquatic Microbiology • • • Soil Microbiology • • • • Food Microbiology • • • • • Industrial Microbiology • • • General Characteristics of Protozoa Protozoa are eukaryotic microorganisms. Although they are often studied in zoology courses, they are considered part of the microbial world because they are unicellular and microscopic. Protozoa are notable for their ability to move independently, a characteristic found in the majority of species. They usually lack the capability for photosynthesis, although the genus Euglena is renowned for motility as well as photosynthesis (and is therefore considered both an alga and a ...