trypomastigote

(noun)

A stage in unicellular life-cycle, typically trypanosomes, where the flagellum is posterior of the nucleus, and connected to the cell body by a long undulating membrane.

Related Terms

Examples of trypomastigote in the following topics:

  • African Trypanosomiasis

    • While taking blood from a mammalian host, an infected tsetse fly injects metacyclic trypomastigotes into skin tissue.
    • Inside the mammalian host, they transform into bloodstream trypomastigotes, and are carried to other sites throughout the body, reach other body fluids (e.g., lymph, spinal fluid), and continue to replicate by binary fission.
    • A tsetse fly becomes infected with bloodstream trypomastigotes when taking a blood meal on an infected mammalian host.
    • In the fly's midgut, the parasites transform into procyclic trypomastigotes, multiply by binary fission, leave the midgut, and transform into epimastigotes.

  • Chagas Disease (American Trypanosomiasis)

    • At this specific stage, the parasites are referred to as trypomastigotes, and these invade the host cells and differentiate into intracellular amastigotes where they continue to multiply by binary fission.
    • These amastigotes then differentiate into trypomastigotes which circulate into the bloodstream.
    • Triatomines pass T. cruzi parasites (called trypomastigotes) in feces left near the site of the bite wound.