Clinical Parasitology

LECTURE

PARASITOLOGY TERMINOLOGIES
AND Phylum Sarcomastigophora
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND  Subphylum
Sarcodina
Parasitology  includes
 study of parasitic organisms, the amoebae
protozoa and worms (helminths) (amoebas)
 branch of biology that is concerned with  pseudopodia
the study of living organisms that take up (false feet)
their abode on or within another living - footlike
organism

Parasite
 living organism that depends on another
living organism for nourishment and cytoplasmic extensions
survival - organelles of locomotion
 “parasite”  Subphylum Mastigophora
 Gk. para = “beside”  includes flagellates
 Gk. sitos = “wheat, hence food”  flagella
 Host - long, thin, whip-like structures
 organism which harbors the parasite - organelles of locomotion
 provides nourishment and shelter to
parasite Phylum Ciliophora
 larger than parasite  includes ciliates
 they are motile by means of cilia
ectoparasi inhabits only the body surface  short hair-like projections that cover
te the entire body surface
infestatio parasitization with  Balantidium coli - the only human
n ectoparasites parasite in this group
endoparas lives within the body of the
ite host Phylum Apicomplexa
infection invasion of a parasite within
the body
Parasitosi infestation or infection with
s parasites.

Protozoa
 classified under kingdom Protista,
subkingdom Protozoa
 single-celled eukaryotic and heterotrophic
microorganisms
 morphologically and functionally
complete
 can perform all functions of life
 “protozoa”
 Gk. proto = “first”
 Gk. zoion/zoon = “living being,
animal”
 Most of the protozoa are completely
nonpathogenic but few may cause major
diseases

Major protozoa causing disease

Angelika Marie B. Reyes

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 Clinical Parasitology
LECTURE

 known as the  not strictly microorganisms, but they have

sporozoa the ability to cause disease and laboratory
 members of this identification of these organisms includes
group do not have many of the same techniques used for
special locomotory identifying microbes
apparatus, but they
possess, at some Phylum Nematoda
stage in their life cycle, a structure called  nematodes
the apical complex serving as the organ i. elongated and
of attachment to host cells tapered at both
 All members are parasitic. ends
ii. unsegmented
Phylum Microsopora iii. also known as
 contains microsporidia roundworms
 many minute intracellular protozoan because they are
parasites round in cross-
 microsporidians are opportunistic section
parasites of immunocompromised
patients, including hose undergoing
chemotherapy and
organ transplants
 former sporozoan
because they possess Phylum Platyhelminthes
polar filaments within  flatworms; their bodies are
a spore dorsoventrally flattened in cross-section
 The phylum contains  2 classes
more than 100 genera of parasites that i. Class Cestoidea (Cestoda)
infect invertebrates (mostly insects) and  Cestodes or tapeworms are
vertebrate hosts flat, segmented and have a
ribbon-like appearance.
Sarcodina [Greek sarkodes, fleshy, from sarx, sark-, ii. Class Trematoda
flesh]  Trematodes, or also known
Ciliophora [Latin cilium, lower eyelid (= eyelash); + as the flukes, are typically
Greek -phoros, bearing, from pherein, to carry]
Mastigophora [Greek zoion, zoon, living being, flattened and leaf-shaped.
animal; + Greek mastig-, whip; + Greek -phoros,
bearing, from pherein, to carry] Arthropods
Sporozoa [Greek spora, seed; + Greek zoion, zoon,  form the largest group of species in the
living being, animal]

Helminths
 parasitic worms
 under the kingdom Animalia
 complex, multicellular eukaryotic
organisms with specialized tissues and
organs kingdom Animalia
 During some stages of their life cycle,  animals characterized by segmented
helminths are microscopic in size bodies, hard external skeleton and jointed
legs

Representative classes of arthropods

Insecta 6 legs bees, flies, lice,
mosquitoes
*Entomology - study
of insects
Arachni 8 legs spiders, mites, ticks
da
Crustac 4 crabs, crayfish
ea antenna
Angelika Marie B. Reyes
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 Clinical Parasitology
LECTURE

e  produced an illustration of Fasciola

hepatica in 1671
Arthropods cause disease through:
1 Direct tissue Scabies – caused by
invasion Sarcoptes scabiei (mite)
Pediculosis – caused by
Pediculus humanus
capitis (lice)
2 Envenomati Through bites of
on spiders, flies, bugs,
mites, and ticks; also HOST-PARASITE RELATIONSHIPS
occurs with stings of
scorpions, ants, wasps, “Parasitology can be considered
and bees to be a specialized branch of ecology”
3 Blood loss Pediculus humanus
capitis (lice) Symbiotic Relationships
4 Transmissio Through vectors –  Symbiosis means living together in close
n of carries pathogenic association of two phylogenetically
infectious microorganisms different organisms, which are called the
agent (e.g. mosquitoes, flies) symbionts
5 Hypersensiti ---
vity Mutualism
reactions  relationships in which organisms both
6 Psychologic --- benefit from a relationship with each
al other
manifestatio  symbionants are called mutualists
ns  usually obligatory (since in most cases,
physiological dependence has evolved to
Arthropod [Greek arthron, joint; + Greek pod, foot] such a degree that one mutualist cannot
survive without the other)
History of Parasitology  E.g. termites and their intestinal
flagellate, Trichonympha
 first clear documentation of parasitic
worms is to be found in the Papyrus  Termites – cannot digest cellulose
Ebers (c. 1550 BC) because they can’t synthesize and secrete
enzyme cellulase
 Dracunculus medinensis ("guinea worm"
or the "fiery serpent of Israelites") was  Intestinal flagellate – synthesize cellulase
certainly recognized on the shores of the and digest wood eaten by their host
Red Sea in the pre-Christian era.  the termite uses molecules excretes as a
by-product of the flagellates’ metabolism
Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek
 Dutch Commensalism
 Father of Microbiology  “eating at the same table”
 first to observe microbes using single-  the smaller organism -- commensal --
lensed microscopes in 1681 benefits from the association, but the host
is neither benefitted nor harmed.
 acknowledged as the Father of
Protozoology  Entamoeba coli – lives in the large
intestines of man where it feeds on
 observed Giardia lambia in his own
bacteria and food particles, and protected
stools
from harm, while it does not cause any
damage to the tissues of its host.
Francesco Redi
 Italian
Parasitism
 Father of Parasitology
 first to recognize and correctly describe
details of many important parasites
 interested in ectoparasites (lice)
 also described dog and cat tapeworms

Angelika Marie B. Reyes

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 Clinical Parasitology
LECTURE

 relationship in which the parasite, benefits

and harms the host or in some sense lives
at the expense of the host
 Entamoeba histolytica – derives nutrition
from the host and causes amoebic
dysentery

Phoresis
 when two symbionts are merely
“traveling together,” and no physiological
 biochemical dependence on the part of
either participant
 The smaller one, the phoront, is carried
by the larger companion, the host
 for transport from one place to another
 a house fly that passively transfers
amoeba on its feet from contaminated
feces to a plate of food
 defined as the route a parasite follows
throughout its life --- from the time of
entry into the host to exit, including the
extracorporeal (outside the host) and
subsequent transmission to a new host.
 A parasite life cycle consists of two (2)
common phases:
Phase involving the route a parasite
1 follows when in the human
body
Phase involving the route a parasite
2 follows independently of the
human body, i.e. in the
outside environment or in a
nonhuman host
1. Portal of entry - the route (and also
the means) whereby a parasite gains
entry into a host.
2. Infective stage - the developmental
form of the parasite that is capable of
entering its host and continuing its
development within the host.
3. Habitat - predetermined site of
development and maturation of the
parasite in a host. It is also important
to note how the parasite reached its
final destination, since migration
through the host can cause other
symptoms.
4. Portal of exit - the route by which the
parasite escapes the host
5. Diagnostic stage - the developmental
form of the parasite which leaves the
host. It is routinely recognized in a
biological specimen and thus is crucial
in properly identifying the parasite
6. Source of infection - host from which
the parasite is immediately transmitted
to the host.

Angelika Marie B. Reyes

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