PROTOZOA
Introduction
Protozoa is a group of more than 64,000 species of
one called eukaryotic organisms. They take their name
from Greek words ‘’Proto’’ & ‘’zoon’’ which means ‘’first
animals’’. This refers to the position many biologists
believe that protozoa occupy in the evolution of living
things
They are most found as free living some also form
colones which are simple aggregates of independent
cells
They are among the largest organisms
encountered in microbiology. They range in size from
2µm to 2cm
Habitat:
Aquatic
They may be located in damp soil, mud, ponds, rivers and
oceans
Some species are attached to aquatic plants or rochs
While other swim about
Other one paracites
About 32,000 species are fossils
22,000 are free living and about 10,000 are parasitic.
Structural features:
Protozoal cell is surrounded by the membrane
however in some species, outside the membrane a
lipid structure called pellicle is also present
The cytoplasm contain eukaryotic features, each cell
having nucleus & nucleur membrane. Many
protozoan cytoplasm can be distinguished into two
parts
Ectoplasm: Outer layer
Endoplasm: Inner layer and most cellular structures
Protozoal cells continuously take water by osmosis and
eliminate it via organelles called contractile
vacuoles . These expand to draw water and
contract to release water outside through a
temporary opening is called membrane-------
Protozoan obtained their food by engulfing food
particles by phagocytosis to form food vacuoles
which are then digested by lysosomes.
Most of protogoan possess locomotary organs such as;
▪ Pseudopodia
▪ Cilia
▪ Flagella
All protogoan are aerobic & obtain their oxygen by
diffusion through the cell membrane
They exit in two forms:
Feeding form called -----Trophogoite
Dormant, highly resistant form---- the cyst
Protogoan reproduce by both sexual and asexual methods
Sexual include:
Conjugation (in ciliates)
Gamete formulation (completed in multiple hosts)
Asexual include:
▪ Binary fission
▪ Multiple fission
▪ Budding
FOUR GROUPS OF PROTOZOA
The protogoa (Phyllum Protozoa) may be
classified into four major classes(actually subphyla)
based on their form & locomotion
These groups are:
1. Sarcodina (ameboid protozoa)
2. Mastigophora ( flagellates)
3. Ciliophora (cilliates)
4. Sporozoa
1- SARCODINA
It is a group of ameboid protozoans
Pseudopodial extrusion of protoplasm serve a
locomotary organ also by flowing around the food
particles provide the mean of ingestion.
These have no or very thin, different pellicle, therefore
their shape is not definite.
Cytoplasm is often differentiated into ectoplasm &
endoplasm. Endoplasm contain a single nucleus,
food vacuoles, granules & in fresh water form
contractile vacuoles
Reproduction:
Binary fission
Significant groups:
Free living amoebas:
Example:
Difflugia-----have shell of silica
Arcella-------have chitinous shell
Radiolaria:
They have spherical shell, highly sculptured glassy skeleton
Foraminifera:
Possess multi-chambered calcareous shell, somewhat
similar to suailis shell. Pseudopodia extend through
pores in the shell for locomotion to secure food.
Parasitic foods:
Cause various diseases e.g; Entamoeba histolytica
causes amebiasis, Eucephalitis, Humidifier fever
Acanthamoeba cestellannia cause corneal infection (in
persons who have contact lenses)
2- Mastigophora
Distinct features:
They have shape of vase
Have one more whip like undulating flagella. These can
push or pull the organism
Each flagellum has a 9+2 arrangement of microtubules.
Cell Structure:
Have thick pellicle so have constant shape
Cytoplasm contain vacuoles & granules of various kinds
Some gps contain chloroplasts
Reproduction:
Longitudinal binary fission
Significant group:
1) Phytoflagellates: Are motile, single celled algae
like organism. They are photosynthetic but are
saprophytic during period of poor illumination e.g;
Euglena, Dinoflagella
2) Zooflagellates: Many of these cause diseases in
humans.
Example:
Trichomonas vaginalis------ Vaginitis
Giardia lamblia------------ Giardiasis
Trypanasoma bruce-------- African sleeping sickness
Trypanasoma gambiense----- African /////
Leishmania donovani---------- Leishmaniasis
3- Ciliphora
Distinct features:
They are among the most complex cells om earth
They are covered with hair like cilia in longitudinal or
spiral rows
The movement of cilia is coordinated by a network
of fibers running beneath the surface of cell.
Paramaceium:
It is a slipper shaped ciliate
It has primitive gullet and mouth into which food
Particles are swept
It contains one meganucleus and one two micronucleus.
Reproduction:
Asexual------ Binary fission through mega nucleus
Sexual ------- Conjugation in which two cells make contact and a
cytoplastic bridge form between them. A micronucleus from
each cell undergoes two division to form four micronuclei of
which one remains alive and undergoes division. Now a
swapping of micronuclei takes place followed by union to
reform the normal micronucleus
Kappa Factor:
Paramaceum possess nucleic acid particles which are
responsible for the synthesis of toxins that destroy ciliates
lacking this factor
Trichocystis:
Also present in paramaceum. These are organelles that
discharge filaments to trap prey
Contractile vacuoles:
Used to bail out excess water from the cytoplasm of
fresh water form
Pathogenic member:
Balantidium coli cause balantidiasis (among
largest+protozoan to infent man
4- Sporozoa:
Distinct features:
All members of this group are paracites and produce
spores at some stage of their life cycle
They have complex life cycles that include alternating
sexual & asexual reproductive phases
Their spores are not true as they lack resistence of
other spore
They lacl locomotary organs in adult forms
Examples;
1) Plasmodium---- [Link], [Link], [Link],
[Link]
2) Toxoplasma gondii cause toxoplasmosis
3) Isosphora belli cause coccidiosis
4) Cryptosporidium parum cause cryptosporidiosis
Malaria Cycle
The malaria parasite has a complex, multistage life
cycle occurring within two living beings, the vector
mosquitoes and the vertebrate hosts.
The parasite passes through several stages of
development such as the sporozoites (Gr. Sporos =
seeds; the infectious form injected by the mosquito),
merozoites (Gr. Meros = piece; the stage invading
the erythrocytes), trophozoites (Gr. Trophes =
nourishment; the form multiplying in erythrocytes),
and gametocytes (sexual stages)
+
and all these stages have their own unique shapes and
structures and protein complements. The surface
proteins and metabolic pathways keep changing
during these different stages.
That help the parasite to evade the immune clearance,
while also creating problems for the development of
drugs and vaccines.
Malaria cycle
