Protozoa

Protozoans
 Protozoans include a wide diversity of taxa that

do not form a monophyletic group but all are
unicellular eukaryotes.
 Protozoa lack a cell wall, have at least one motile

stage in their life cycle and most ingest their food.
 Protozoan cell is much larger and more complex

than prokaryotic cell and contains a variety of
organelles.
Protozoans
 Protozoans are generally heterotrophs with few

exceptions. They include both free-living and
parasitic forms.
 Reproduction can be asexual by fission or

budding or sexual by conjugation or syngamy
(fusion of gametes).
Nutrition
 Nutrition may be Holozoic or Saprozoic.
 Feeding in amebas involves using pseudpodia

to surround and engulf a particle in the process
of phagocytosis.
 Some ciliates have specialized structure for

endocytosis, called CYTOSTOME.
Movement in Protozoa
 Protozoa move mainly using cilia, flagella or by
using pseudopodia.
 Cilia also used for feeding in many small

metazoans.
Vauoles
 Three major types of Vacuoles are present;
 Phagocytic - Nutrition
 Contractile - Osmoregulation
 Secretory – Release of Enzymes/Toxins
Cilia and flagella
 No real morphological distinction between the
two structures although cilia are usually shorter
and more abundant and flagella fewer and
longer.
 Each flagellum or cilium is composed of 9 pairs

of longitudinal microtubules arranged in a circle
around a central pair.
Figure 11.09a
Protein spoke
Dynein motor
Basal body
Movement in Protozoa:
Pseudopodia
 Pseudopodia are chief means of locomotion of
amebas but are also formed by other protozoa
and ameboid cells of many invertebrates.
 In ameboid movement the organism extends a

pseudopodium in the direction it wishes to travel
and then flows into it.
Figure 11.10
Reproduction in protozoa
 The commonest form of reproduction is
binary fission in which two essentially
identical individuals result.
 In some ciliates budding occurs in which

a smaller progeny cell is budded off which
later grows to adult size.
Binary fission
in various taxa
Encystment and Excystment
 Also known as Encystation and Excystation.
 Encystation
 Refers to the formation of CYST, the dormant

form under adverse conditions.
 It is marked by the presence of a Wall and

Low metabolic activity.
Encystment and Excystment
 Cysts serve Three major functions;
• Protect against afverse conditions
• Sites for Nuclear organization and Cell
division (Reproductive cysts)
• Serve as means of transfer from one host to
other, in parasitic protozoa
 Excystation
 Occurs once favorable conditions are restored.

CLASSIFICATION
 The protozoa were once considered a single
phylum, now at least 7 phyla are recognized.
 They are grouped with unicellular algae into the

Kingdom Protista.
 7 of 14 Phyla of Kingdom Protista belong to

Protozoa. Therefore, Protozoa is also
considered as a Sub-Kingdom.
1. Phylum Sarcomastigophora
 Uninucleated organisms.
 Sub-Phylum Mastigophora
 Flagella are locomotory organelles.

 Contains both Phyto- and Zoo-flagellates. The
later may be Holozoic, Saprozoic or Symbiotic.
 Some are free living such as Choanoflagellates.
Trichonympha forms mutualistic relationship
with Termite.
 Many are Pathogenic to Humans / animals. e.g.
• Giardia causes diarrhea.
• Trichomonas causes infections in genital
organs of males and females.
• Trypanosomes are human blood pathogens.
Trypanosoma causes African sleeping sickness.
 Sub-Phylum Sarcodina
 Amoeboid protists.
 Pseudopodia are the locomotory organelles.
 Present in Fresh / Marine water, and Soil.
 Mostly Pleomorphic, internal structures also not
fixed and shift as the organism moves.
 Reproduction by Binary fission.
 Many can form Cysts, some complex ones (e.g.
Arcella) may form TEST.
 Generally Free living. Some are Mutualistic or
Commensals (many Endamoeba and Entamoeba
species).
 Some cause Opportunistic infections in humans or
animals (e.g. species of Acanthamoeba and
Naegleria).
 E. histolytica, is Parasitic.
2. Phylum Labyrinthomorpha
 Small phylum with Spindle shaped or Spherical
organisms.
 Non-amoeboid, Most are marine.
 Either Saprozoic or Parasitic on Algae.
 e.g. Labyrinthula which infects Eel grass.

3. Phylum Apicomplexa
 Also known as Sporozoans, have Spore forming stage
in life cycle.
 Lack locomotory organelles (except in Male gametes
and Zygote).
 Intra- and/or Inter-cellular parasites of animals.
 Distinguished by the presence of APICAL COMPLEX.
 Apical Complex contains Conoid, Rhoptry and Rings.
 Pellicle and Micropore also present.
 Have complex life cycles involving some stages in one
host and rest in the other.
 Both Sexual and Asexual phases present. Alternation
of Haploid and Diploid generations occurs.
 Schizogony occurs at some point in Asexual phase.
 Some important human pathogens are;
 Plasmodium - Malaria
 Toxoplasma - Toxoplasmosis
 Eimeria - Coccodiosis
 Pneumocystis - Pneumocystis Pneumonia
4. Phylum Microspora
 Small in size, 3-6 micrometers.
 Obligate Intracellular parasites of lower animals.
 Some of economic importance as they cause diseases
in economically important insects. e.g.
 Nosema bombicus – Pebrine disease in Silkworm
 Nosema apis – Infects Honeybees.
 Some have been implicated in Bio-control of harmful

insects, e.g. Nosema locutae against Grasshoppers.
 Species of Nosema, Encephalitozoon, Pleistophora
and Enterocytozoon have been implicated in
opportunistic infections in AIDS patients
5. Phylum Ascetospora
 Small phylum in terms of number of members.
 All are Intra- or Inter-cellular Parasites.
 Spore forming, but spores lack Polar caps or

filaments.
 e.g. Halosporidium - Infects Mollusks.

6. Phylum Myxozoa
 Small phylum.
 All are Parasitic on Fresh-water or Marine fish.
 Form characteristic Resistant Spores with Six coiled
Polar Filaments.
 Examples are
 Myxosoma cerebralis – Infects Nervous system of
Trout and Salmon

 Others cause Proliferative kidney disease in
Cultured Salmon
7. Phylum Ciliophora
 Largest phylum with >8000 species, ranging from 10-
3000 micrometers in size.
 Cilia are locomotory organelles and the members are
known as Ciliates.
 Cilia arranged in Rows or Spirals.
 Variation in shape among different species.
 Some species use movement of CILIA around
Cytostome, some have TENTACLES while others
release TOXICYSTS for catching prey.
 Undigested material is released through Cytoproct.
 Possess Two types of nuclei;
 The Micronucleus:
• Diploid.
• Involved in Sexual reproduction (Conjugation).
• Divides by Mitosis and Meiosis.
 The Macronuceus:
• Polyploid, Derived by complex steps.
• Divides by Elongation and Constriction.
• Maintains routine cellular functions and controls
Metabolism
 Asexual reproduction is by Transverse Binary
Fission.
 Sexual reproduction is by Conjugation.
 Mostly Free-living, e.g. Paramecium.
 Some Commensals, e.g. Entodinium (in Cattle) and
Nyctotherus (in Frog) species.
 Some are Parasitic, e.g. Ichthyophthirius (in Fishes)
and Balantidium coli (in Humans).

Protozoa

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Protozoans

 Protozoans include a wide diversity of taxa that

 Protozoa lack a cell wall, have at least one motile

 Protozoan cell is much larger and more complex

 Protozoans are generally heterotrophs with few

 Reproduction can be asexual by fission or

 Feeding in amebas involves using pseudpodia

 Some ciliates have specialized structure for

 Cilia also used for feeding in many small

 Three major types of Vacuoles are present;

 Each flagellum or cilium is composed of 9 pairs

 In ameboid movement the organism extends a

 In some ciliates budding occurs in which

 Refers to the formation of CYST, the dormant

 It is marked by the presence of a Wall and

 Occurs once favorable conditions are restored.

 They are grouped with unicellular algae into the

 7 of 14 Phyla of Kingdom Protista belong to

 Flagella are locomotory organelles.

 Non-amoeboid, Most are marine.

 Either Saprozoic or Parasitic on Algae.

 e.g. Labyrinthula which infects Eel grass.

 Nosema apis – Infects Honeybees.

 Some have been implicated in Bio-control of harmful

 Small phylum in terms of number of members.

 All are Intra- or Inter-cellular Parasites.

 Spore forming, but spores lack Polar caps or

 e.g. Halosporidium - Infects Mollusks.

Trout and Salmon

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