protozoa

Examples of protozoa in the following topics:

• Protozoa

  • Protozoa are a diverse group of unicellular eukaryotic organisms, many of which can cause disease.
  • Protozoa can display pathogenicity and are the cause of various diseases.
  • When protozoa are in the form of trophozoites they actively feed.
  • Leishmania donovani, (a species of protozoa) in a bone marrow cell.
  • Example of a life cycle promoting pathogenicity of a protozoa, specifically the malaria parasite.

• Antiprotozoan and Antihelminthic Drugs

  • Two major classes of parasitic organisms include protozoa and helminths.
  • Protozoa are unicellular eukaryotic organisms that are classified as either free-living or parasitic organisms.
  • Some examples of diseases caused by protozoa include: Malaria, Giardia, Trichomoniasis, and Leishmaniasis.
  • In addition, protozoa are eukaryotic and exhibit similar properties and metabolic pathways as human cells.
  • Describe the objective of drugs against helminths anf the disadvantages to developing drugs against protozoa

• The Rumen and Ruminant Animals

  • Ruminant animals (such as deer and cows) digest food in a four-chambered stomach with the help of special bacteria, protozoa, and fungi.
  • Ruminants are of interest to microbiologists because they have unique species of bacteria, yeasts, protozoa, and fungi in their rumens.

• Cooperation Among Microorganisms

  • A microbial example is the interaction between protozoa and archaea in the digestive tracts of some animals .
  • These animals eat cellulose which is broken down by the protozoa to obtain energy.
  • Both the protozoa and archaea benefit from this relationship.

• Symbiosis

  • For example, termites have a mutualistic relationship with protozoa that live in the insect's gut.
  • The termite benefits from the ability of bacterial symbionts within the protozoa to digest cellulose.
  • The termite itself cannot do this; without the protozoa, it would not be able to obtain energy from its food (cellulose from the wood it chews and eats).
  • The protozoa and the bacterial symbionts benefit by having a protective environment and a constant supply of food from the wood-chewing actions of the termite.

• African Trypanosomiasis

  • Sleeping sickness is caused by a protozoa transmitted by the tsetse fly.
  • Human African trypanosomiasis, sleeping sickness, African lethargy, or Congo trypanosomiasis is a parasitic disease of people and animals, caused by protozoa of the species Trypanosoma brucei and transmitted by the tsetse fly.
  • Here is an outline of the life cycle of the protozoa Trypanosoma brucei, the parasite responsible for African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness).

• Relative Resistance of Microbes

  • Protozoa cysts are quite hard to eliminate too.
  • As cysts, protozoa can survive harsh conditions, such as exposure to extreme temperatures or harmful chemicals, or long periods without access to nutrients, water, or oxygen for a period of time.
  • Protozoa cells are also hardy to eliminate.

• Types of Microorganisms

  • They can be divided into six major types: bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, algae, and viruses.
  • Protozoa are unicellular aerobic eukaryotes.
  • Protozoa have been traditionally divided based on their mode of locomotion: flagellates produce their own food and use their whip-like structure to propel forward, ciliates have tiny hair that beat to produce movement, amoeboids have false feet or pseudopodia used for feeding and locomotion, and sporozoans are non-motile.

• Phylogeny of the Eukarya

• Classification of Microorganisms

  • Five major kingdoms have been described and include prokaryota (e.g. archae and bacteria), protoctista (e.g. protozoa and algae), fungi, plantae, and animalia.