EUKARYOTIC

M I C R O B E S
OBJECTIVES
AFTER STUDYING THIS CHAPTER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO:

Compare and contrast the differences between algae, protozoa

01 and fungi

Explain the major difference between a lichen and a slime

02 mould

Define the classifications and medical significance of algae,

03 protozoa, and fungi
EUKARYOTIC
MICROBES
ALGAE AND FUNGI AND ALL
PROTOZOA, LICHENS, AND SLIME
MOULDS
PART 1:
algae
PART 1: ALGAE
CHARACTERISTICS AND CLASSIFICATION

• Algae are photosynthetic, eukaryotic

organisms.
• All algal cells consist of cytoplasm, a cell wall (usually), a
cell membrane, a nucleus, plastids, ribosomes, mitochondria,
and Golgi bodies.
• Some have a pellicle, a stigma, and/or flagella
PART 1: ALGAE
• Algae range in size from unicellular microscopic organisms to
large, multi-cellular.

• Algae produced their energy by photosynthesis, using the

energy from the sun, carbon dioxide, water, and inorganic
nutrients from the soil to build cellular material
PART 1: ALGAE
• Algae may be arranged in colonies or strands.

• Most algal cell walls contain cellulose.

• Depending on their photosynthetic pigments, algae are

classified as green, golden, brown, or red algae.

Algae include: diatoms, dinoflagellates, desmids, Spirogyra,

Chlamydomonas, Volvox, and Euglena.
 • Unicellular algae
• Important members of
phytoplankton

DIATOMS

DIATOMACEOUS EARTH
 • Unicellular algae
• Important members of
phytoplankton
• producing much of oxygen in
atmosphere

DINOFLAGELLETES

The dinoflagellates multiply rapidly causing the sea surface to become reddish in color. These algae produce toxins and
make the aquatics difficult to breathe.
PART 1: ALGAE
•Algae are an important source of food, iodine,
fertilizers, emulsifiers, and stabilizers for ice cream and
salad dressings and gelling agents for jams and nutrient
media bacterial growth.
 Medical Significance
• One genus of algae, Prototheca, is a very rare cause of human infections
• Causes protothecosis
• Algae in several other genera secrete toxic substances called phycotoxins
Poisonous to humans, fish, and other animals

If ingested by humans, the phycotoxins produced by the dinoflagellates that cause "red
tides" can lead to a disease called paralytic shellfish poisoning.
PART 1: ALGAE
Structure and basic
functions
These components work together to maintain cellular
homeostasis and perform essential life activities.
PART 2:
PROTOZOA
 Protozoa:
• Protozoa are eukaryotic organisms that,
together with algae, are classified in the second
kingdom of the Five Kingdom System of
Classification.
• The study of protozoa is called protozoology,
and a person who studies protozoa is called a
protozoologist.
 Protozoa: Characteristics

• Most protozoa are unicellular, ranging in length

from 3 to 2,000 um.

• Most of them are free-living organisms, found in

soil and water.

• Protozoal cells are more animal-like than

plantlike.
 Protozoa: Characteristics

• All protozoal cells possess a variety of eukaryotic

structures and organelles.
• Some ingest whole algae, yeasts, bacteria, and
smaller protozoans as their source of nutrients,
whereas others live on dead and decaying organic
matter.
• Protozoa do not have cell walls, but some,
including some flagellates and some ciliates,
possess a pellicle, which serves the same purpose
as a cell wall--protection
 Protozoa: Characteristics

• A typical protozoan life cycle consists of two

stages: the trophozoite stage and the cyst stage.

• The trophozoite is the motile, feeding, dividing

stage in a protozoan life cycle, whereas the cyst is
the non-motile, dormant, survival stage. In some
ways (e.g., the presence of a thick outer wall),
cysts are like bacterial spores.
 Protozoa: Characteristics

• A typical protozoan life cycle consists of two

stages: the trophozoite stage and the cyst stage.

• The trophozoite is the motile, feeding, dividing

stage in a protozoan life cycle, whereas the cyst is
the non-motile, dormant, survival stage. In some
ways (e.g., the presence of a thick outer wall),
cysts are like bacterial spores.
Protozoa: Characteristics
 Protozoa:
Classification and Medical
Significance
• An ameba first extends a pseudopodium in the direction it intends
to move and then the rest of the cell slowly flows into it; this
process is called ameboid movement.

• An ameba ingests a food particle by surrounding the particle with

pseudopodia, which then fuse together; this process is known as
phagocytosis.

• The ingested particle, surrounded by a membrane, is referred to

as a food vacuole or phagosome.
 Protozoa:
Classification and Medical
Significance
• When fluids are ingested in a similar manner, the process is
known as pinocytosis.

• One medically important ameba is Entamoeba histolytica, which

causes amebic dysentery and extra-intestinal amebic abscesses.

• Other amebae of medical significance, include Naegleria fowleri

the causative agent of primary amebic meningoencephalitis

• and Acanthamoeba spp. which cause eye infections.

 Protozoa:
Classification and Medical
Significance

• Ciliates move about by means of large numbers of hairlike cilia on

their surfaces. Cilia exhibit an oarlike motion. Ciliates are the most
complex of all protozoa.

• A pathogenic ciliate, Balantidium coli, causes dysentery in

underdeveloped countries it usually transmitted to humans from
drinking water that has been contaminated by swine feces. B. coli is
the only ciliated protozoan that causes disease in humans.

.
 Protozoa:
Classification and Medical
Significance

• Flagellated protozoa or flagellates move by means of whiplike

flagella. A basal body (also called a kinetosome or kinetoplast)
anchors each flagellum within the cytoplasm.

• Nonmotile protozoa - protozoa lacking pseudopodia, flagella, or

cilia-are classified together in a category called sporozoa.
PART 3:
fungi
Fungi: Characteristics

• Fungi are a diverse group that are now

classified across three kingdoms.

• Mycology is the study of fungi and

Mycologists are person who studies fungi

• Fungi may be beneficial and harmful

• Fungi are saprophytes and the garbage

disposers of nature
Fungi: Characteristics

• Fungi are not photosynthetic and contain

chitin in their cell walls

• Many fungi are unicellular, while others

grow as filaments called hyphae

• Some fungi may have septate hyphae

whereas others have aseptate hyphae
Fungi: Characteristics
 Fungi: Reproduction
• Fungal cells can reproduce by budding,
hyphal extension, or the formation of spores

• Two general categories of fungal spores:

sexual spores and asexual spores

• If the reproductive structures is formed

within sac-like structure called sporangium
then asexual reproduction is referred to as
sporangiospore

• If the reproductive structures arise from

fungal component called conidiophore then
spores are referred to as conidia
 Fungi: Classification

Five phyla of fungi:

• Zygomycotina
• Chytridiomycotina
• Ascomycotina
• Basidiomycotina
• Deuteromycotina

Classification of fungi into phyla is primarily

based on their mode of sexual production
 Fungi: Classification

Lower Fungi

• Zygomycotina include the bread moulds and

other fungi that cause food spoilage

• Chytridiomycotina not considered to be true

fungi by some taxonomists, live in water and
soils.
 Fungi: Classification

Higher Fungi
• Ascomycotina include certain yeasts like
Candida species, moulds like Aspergillus
and Penicillium and some fungi that cause
plant disease

• Basidiomycotina include some yeasts like

Cryptococcus, some fungi that cause skin
infections and plant disease and large “fleshy
fungi” that lives in the woods
 Fungi: Classification

Deuteromycotina
• Sometimes referred to as the Fungi
Imperfecti
• Contained in this phylum are fungi which
sexual form of organisms has not been
discovered or lost ability to perform sexual
reproduction.
• Include moulds such as Aspergillus and
yeast such as Candida albicans
 Fungi: Classification

Rhizopus Chytridiomycota
 Fungi: Classification

Aspergillus Cryptococcus
Fungi: Classification

Candida albicans
 Fungi: Yeast

• Yeast are eukaryotic single-celled organisms

that lack mycelia.

• Individual yeast cells, sometimes referred to

as blastospores or blastoconidia can be
observed only through microscope

• A string of elongated buds is called

pseudohypha

• Produce thick-walled, spore-like structures

called chalamydospores
 Fungi: Yeast

• Yeast are found in soil and water and on the

skins of many fruit and vegetables

• Saccharomyces cerevisiae ferments sugar to

alcohol under anaerobic conditions

• C.albicans is the yeast and fungus most

frequently isolated from human clinical
specimens
• Yeast produce colonies that re quite similar
in appearance to bacterial colonies
 Fungi: Moulds

• Fungi often seen in water and soil and on

food

• Reproduction is by spore formation, either

sexually or asexually, on the aerial hyphae
referred as reproductive hyphae

• Some moulds produce antibiotics such as

Penicillium and Acremonium

• Some moulds also produce large quantity of

enzymes

• The flavor of cheese are due to moulds that

grow in them
 Fungi: Moulds

• Phytophthora infestans is the potato blight

moulds that cause famine in Ireland in mid-
19th century
 Dimorphic Fungi

• Dimorphism is the phenomenon where few

fungi including some human pathogens, can
live as yeasts or as moulds depending on
growth conditions

• Exist as unicellular yeast, producing yeast

colonies when growing in a body or room
temperature of 37 degree Celsius

• Exist as moulds, producing mould colonies

when growing in the environment or in vitro
at 25 degree Celsius room temperature
 Microspordia

• Obligate intracellular parasitic fungi

• Possess a unique organelle called as the

polar filament which coils around inside the
microsporidial spore

• Mainly cause infection in the eye or

gastrointestinal tract
 FLESHY FUNGI

mushroom toadstools puffballs bracket fungi

 FLESHY FUNGI
• fleshy fungi are not microorganisms
• mushrooms belong to the class of true fungi
• they consist of a network of filaments or strands called the mycelium, which grows
in soil or rotting logs
• the fruiting body, known as the mushroom, rises above the ground
• mushrooms release spores, each of which can germinate into a new organism
• many mushrooms are edible
• some mushrooms, even those resembling edible ones, are extremely toxic and can
cause severe harm or death if ingested
• the largest living organism is a type of mushroom
Armillaria solidipes
(Honey Fungus)
 MEDICAL SIGNIFICANCE
• various fungi, including yeasts, molds, and certain fleshy fungi, hold medical, veterinary, and
agricultural significance due to the diseases they induce in humans, animals, and plants
• crop diseases affecting plants like grains, corn, and potatoes are often caused by molds, with some
diseases termed as blights and rusts
• apart from damaging crops, some fungi produce toxins (mycotoxins) that can lead to disease in humans
and animals
• molds and yeasts are also responsible for causing infectious diseases in humans and animals,
collectively known as mycoses
• despite the vast number of fungal species, only a small proportion are pathogenic to humans
 FUNGAL INFECTIONS
ON HUMANS
Fungal infections are known as mycoses (sing., mycosis), and are categorized as
superficial, cutaneous, subcutaneous, or systemic mycoses. In some cases, the
infection may progress through all these stages.
SUPERFICIAL & CUTANEOUS MYCOSES
• superficial mycoses are fungal infections affecting outer areas of the human body, like hair,
fingernails, toenails, and the outer layers of the skin (epidermis)
• cutaneous mycoses target the living layers of the skin (dermis)
• dermatophytes, a group of molds, cause tinea infections, commonly known as "ringworm"
infections, unrelated to actual worms
• tinea infections are named based on the infected body part, such as tinea pedis (athlete's foot),
tinea unguium (fingernails and toenails), tinea capitis (scalp), tinea barbae (face and neck), tinea
corporis (trunk), and tinea cruris (groin)
SUBCUTANEOUS & SYSTEMIC MYCOSES
• subcutaneous and systemic mycoses are more severe types of fungal infections
• subcutaneous mycoses affect the dermis and underlying tissues, often due to traumatic implantation of
the organism into subcutaneous tissue, resulting in grotesque appearances
• an example is Madura foot, characterized by large, unsightly, fungus-containing bumps
• systemic mycoses are infections of internal organs, sometimes affecting multiple organ systems
simultaneously
SUBCUTANEOUS & SYSTEMIC MYCOSES
• pathogenic fungi conidia can be inhaled through dust from contaminated soil, bird or bat feces, or
enter wounds on hands and feet, causing respiratory infections like tuberculosis
• examples of deep-seated pulmonary infections include blastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis,
cryptococcosis, and histoplasmosis, which can lead to widespread systemic infections, particularly in
immunosuppressed individuals
• common bread molds like Rhizopus and Mucor spp. can cause human disease, including death,
especially in immunosuppressed patients, leading to respiratory disease known as zygomycosis or
mucormycosis
 LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS OF
FUNGAL INFECTIONS
• clinical specimens for diagnosing mycoses are submitted to the mycology section of the clinical
microbiology laboratory
• yeasts isolated from clinical specimens are often identified to the species level using biochemical tests,
determining their nutrient usage based on possessed enzymes
• minisystems, miniaturized biochemical test systems, are commercially available for identifying
clinically important yeasts
 LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS OF
FUNGAL INFECTIONS
• moulds isolated from clinical specimens are identified through macroscopic and microscopic
observations, including colony color, texture, topography, and spore production method
• immunodiagnostic procedures, including skin tests, and molecular-based methods are also available
for diagnosing certain mycoses
• antifungal agents like nystatin, amphotericin B, azoles, or echinocandins are the most effective
treatments for mycoses, prescribed with caution due to potential toxicity to humans
 lichens

a plantlike organism that typically forms a low crusty, leaflike, or branching growth on
rocks, walls, and trees
 LICHENS
• commonly observed in natural environments,
resembling colored circular patches on tree trunks
and rocks
• previously thought to be a combination of an alga
(or cyanobacterium) and a filamentous fungus,
recent evidence suggests the presence of a yeast as
well, forming a symbiotic relationship
• represent a mutualistic relationship / mutualism,
benefiting all parties involved
• classified as protists
• while not associated with human disease, certain
substances produced by lichens exhibit antibacterial
properties
 SLIME MOULDS

a simple organism that consists of an acellular mass of creeping gelatinous protoplasm

containing nuclei, or a mass of amoeboid cells
 SLIME MOULDS
• possess both fungal and protozoal characteristics
• recently transferred from the Kingdom Fungi to the Kingdom Protozoa, indicating they are
not moulds
• slime moulds are not known to cause human disease
• slime moulds are classified as protists
Thank you!
Any questions?