MEDICAL PROTOZOOLOGY

Protozoa are unicellular microorganisms. They may be free living or parasitic.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF PROTOZOA

The vital functions of the protozoa are performed by the protoplasm which is differentiated into cytoplasm and nucleoplasm. The cytoplasm consists of the ectoplasm and the endoplasm Nucleus consists of a nuclear membrane which surrounds the nucleoplasm. The nucleus may be compact or vesicular.

Ectoplasm :This is the outer layer of the cytoplasm. It is viscid and finely granular. It is concerned mainly with movement, ingestion of food, excretion, secretion, respiration, and protection Endoplasm is less viscid than the ectoplasm and more granular. It is concerned with the digestion and reproduction of the protozoon. It contains the nucleus, food vacuoles, and stored food material in the form of glycogen. It may also contain contractile vacuoles for regulation of osmotic pressure as in ciliates and free living amoeba.

CYTOPLASM

MOVEMENT IN PROTOZOA

Pseudopodia

Flagella

Cilia

 Ingestion

of Food: According to the type of protozoa. Through pseudopodia or

a

slit like mouth peristome as in ciliates. Others, feed by diffusion of already prepared food through the cell membrane.

 Excretion:
Metabolic

waste products are expelled by the aid of contractile vacuoles (ciliates), through the ectoplasm (flagellates), or

diffusion

as

in malaria the metabolic by-products are deposited in the form of pigment granules in the endoplasm.

 Secretion:

Various substances are secreted by the protozoa. Entamoeba histolytica can secrete histiolytic enzymes to aid in its penetration of tissues, antigenic materials and some protozoa secrete a cyst wall, as a means of protection and a means of transmission to a new host. Respiration: This is either anaerobic as in amoeba or aerobically as the malaria parasites. Reproduction: This may be sexual or asexual.

CLASSIFICATION OF PROTOZOA
They are divided into four phyla: Sarcomastigophora, Apicomplexa, Microspora and Ciliophora.

 SARCOMASTIGOPHORA These

are the protozoa which move with the aid of pseudopodia, flagella or both and include two subphyla Sarcodina and Mastigophora A) SARCODINA Members of this subphylum are characterized by have two stages: Trophozoites move with the aid of pseudopodia. Cystic stage Asexual reproduction is by binary fission e.g Entamoeba histolytica

B) MASTIGOPHORA Members of this subphylum characterized by have the following characters: Trophozoites move with the aid of one or more flagella. Asexual reproduction is mainly by longitudinal binary fission e.g. blood and tissue flagellates e.g. Leishmania and Trypanosomes, genito-urinary flagellates e.g. Trichomonas vaginalis and digestive tract flagellates e.g. Giardia lamblia.

FLAGELLATES

APICOMPLEXA Members of this phylum have the following characters: They possess an apical complex which can be seen by the electron-microscope. There is both sexual (sporogony) and asexual reproduction (schizogony). There are no definite organs of locomotion The secretion of microemes and rhoptries facilitate the entry of the parasite into the host.

APICOMPLEXA

The phylum Apicomplexa possess a complicated life cycle involving sexual and asexual multiplication. These cycles can occur in the same host or in two different hosts. Members of Apicomplexa are; Plasmodia spp. Toxoplasma gondii Isospora belli Cryptosporidia

CILIOPHORA Members of this phylum possess the following characters Trophozoites move with the aid of cilia. They divide asexually by binary fission and sometimes sexually by conjugation. They possess contractile vacuoles e.g. Balantidium coli.