INTRODUCTION

TO PROTOZOA
prepared by:Jonny Bon
Objectives:
at the end of this presentation the students s
should be able to;
• Understand the word protozoa
• Know about the characteristics,morphology,types
and methods of reproduction in protozoa
• Know the different diseases caused and drugs used
against it.
PROTOZOA
DEFINITION:
-the word potozoa comes from the greek word
"protozoon"which means 'first animal'.
-they are unicellular(maybe multicellular)eukaryotic
microorganisms
-they are about 65,000 species most of it are
harmless
-few species are pathogenic in nature,parasitize
human and animals causing hundreds of millions of
infections in a year
CHARACTERISTICS:
• mostly unicellular organism with fully functional
cell
• live freely,maybe parasitic or symbiotic
• they are chemohetotrops
• they are motile and have locomotive organelles
• flagella and cilia for movement
MORPHOLOGY:
• protozoa are eukaryotic resemble of animal
cell,contain major cell organelles (includes nucleus
and mitochondria)
• their organelles are highly specialized for
feeding,reproduction and movement.
• the cytoplasm of protozoa are divided into an
outer layer called ectoplasm and inner layer
endoplasm
• ectoplasm helps in movent,feeding and protection
• endoplasm houses nucleus,mitochondria and food
• some protozoa have special appendages flagella
and cilia that helps in their movements.
• freshwater protozoa have contractile vacuoles to
pump out excess water
ENDOPLASM AND
ECTOPLASM
MORPHOLOGY:
• the size of protozoa ranges between 3-300
millimeters
• few ciliate and amoeba are larger enough to be
seen with the naked eyes (about 4-5 mm)
• except sporozoates,all types of protozoa are
motile either through flagella,cilia or pseudepodia
• have eyespot that can detect change in light
• respond to light and learn by trial and error
stigma(eyespot)
NUTRITION:
• parasitic protozoa feeds on the fluids and tissues
of their host(e.g.plasma & blood cells)
• mostly protozoa feed on dead plants and animal
debris while some(trophozoites)feed on bacteria
and algae
• some live in symbiotic relationship with other
plants and animals
CLASSIFICATION OF
PROTOZOA
• they are classified on the basis of their motility
and method of reproduction
• classified into 4 main types;
*flagellates
*ciliates
*sarcodina
*sporozoates
FLAGELLATES
• moves by the help of flagella(tail like structure)
• movement is whip-like
• examples are the ff
*trypnosoma,leishmania(blood pathogen)
*giardia(intestinal parasite)
*trichomonas(reproductive tract pathogen)
FLAGELLATES
CILIATES
• ciliates protozoa have movement through cilia
• fine hair-like structure attached to their body
• some protozoa have special kind of cilia for
feeding and attachment
• most are harmless
• only one specie is pathogenic for human that
causes a rare and severe form of dysentery
CILIATES
SARCODINA
• major loco-motor organelles is pseudopodia
• common example is amoeba
• most species are harmless
• enaemoba is parasitic for human that causes
intestinal disease
SARCODINA
SPOROZOATES
• are the only non-motile form of protozoa
• have well developed sexual and asexual stages
• entire group is parasitic in nature and harmful
• plasmodium(causative agent of malaria,about
100-300 million infection worldwide
• taxoplasma gondii(causes taxoplasmosis)
SPOROZOATES
REPRODUCTION IN
PROTOZOA
• can reproduce their offspring by both sexual and
asexual methods
• asexual methods are budding,binary fission and
schizogony or multiple fission
• sexual methods are conjugation and gametogony
DISEASES CAUSE BY
PROTOZOA
• Malaria(plasmodium)
• Giardiasis/diarrhea(Giargia intestinals)
• Amoebic Dysentery(Entamoeba hystolitica)
• Toxoplasmosis(Toxoplasma Gondii)
• Cryptosporidiosis(Cryptosporidia
• Sleeping sickness(Trypanosoma)
• Leishmaniasis(Leismania)
ANTIPROTOZOAL DRUGS
• Chloroquine,Mefloquine and Pyrimethamine are
used in malaria treatment.
• Metronidazole was developed as an antiprotozoal
drug.It includes strand breaks in the DNA of
sensitive organisms and also disrupts membrane
integrity.
• Other antiprotozoal agents are Sulphonamides
and Trimetoprim,inhibit folic acid synthesis.