Protozoa classification up to classes with distinctive characters and

suitable example
Broadly, four phyla based primarily on organelles of locomotion, i.e., the means of molality have
been recognised in the early days for the purpose of classification of protozoa. These phyla are:
the Mastigophora flagellates), the Rhizopoda or Sarcodina (pseudopodiates), the Ciliophora
(ciliates), and Sporozoa (sporeformers).

Class I: Rhizopoda (Rhiza= root; podus = foot). Protozoa having peculiar temporary organelles
for locomotion, called pseudopodia or false feet.

1. Fresh water, marine or in moist soil, a few parasitic.

2. No definite pellicle, some have exoskeleton.
3. Adult move by pseudopodia.
4. Nutrition, holozoic or saprozoic.
5. They typically ingest their food by phagocytosis. They extend their pseudopods to engulf
a prey. They do not possess a mouth or cytostome.
6. Asexual reproduction by binary fission, sexual by gametes and may form flagellated
young. No spore formation.

Examples—Amoeba proteus, Entamoeba histolytica (causing dysentery).

Class II: Mastigophora (Mastix =whip; phoros=bearer) or Flagellata (flagellum = whip).

Protozoa that move by the lashing of whip-like organelles called flagella.

1. Their habitat includes fresh and marine waters. Either solitary or colonial.
2. Presence of one or more flagella in trophozoite stage. Most of these species are capable
of self-propelled movement through the motion of one or several flagella. The possession
of flagella is a hallmark of the Mastigophora.
3. They consist of flagellate protozoa (few produce pseudopodia in addition to flagella)
many of which are plant-like (dinoflagellates, euglenoids and some other algal forms) and
others animal-like (zooflagellates).
4. Nutrition may be either phototrophic or heterotrophic or both.
5. Free- living zooflagellates undoubtedly gave rise to many symbiotic forms. They are highly
specialized and adapted to specific hosts.
6. For example, Trichonympha, a wood digesting symbiont living in the gut of termites;
Trichomonas, a commensal in the gut of man and other vertebrates.
7. Some are parasitic forms. Trypanosoma, different species of which live parasitically in the
bloods of various vertebrates and are transmitted from host through insect
8. Sexual reproduction is uncommon.

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 9. It is subdivided into two classes— Phytomastigophorea and Zoomastigophorea.

Example—Euglena viridis; Trypanosoma gambiensi (causing African sleeping-sickness);

Leishmania donovani (causing kala-azar).

References:
1. Adam Sedgwick - A Students Text Book of Zoology, Low Price Publications, Delhi, Vol. I, II
& Vol. III, 1990.
2. Agarwal V.K. – Zoology for Degree Students: Non-Chordata, S. Chand & Company, 2017.
3. Barnes R. D. - Invertebrate Zoology, Saunders College, Philadelphia, 1980.
4. Dhami & Dhami - Invertebrate Zoology, R. Chand & Co., 2009.
5. Ekambaranatha Ayyar - A Manual of Zoology Vol. I, Part I & II, S. Vishwanathan Pvt. Ltd.,
1982.
6. Hyman, L. H. - The Invertebrates - Vols. I to IV, Mc. Graw Hill, 1940.
7. Jordan & Verma - Invertebrate Zoology, S. Chand & Company, New Delhi, 2013.
8. Kotpal - Modem Text Book of Invertebrates, Rastogi Publications, Meerut, 2017.
9. Kotpal - Protozoa to Echinodermata (Phylum Series), Rastogi Publications, Meerut, 2017.
10. M. Prakash & C. K. Arora - Laboratory Animals, Anmol Publications, New Delhi, 1998.
11. P.S. Verma - A Manual of Practical Zoology – Invertebrates, S. Chand & Co., 2013.
12. S.S. Lal- A Text book of Practical Zoology – Invertebrates, Rastogi Publications, 2016.
13. T. Jeffery Parker, William A. Haswell. A Text Book of Zoology, Low Price Publications, Delhi,
Vol. I & II, 1990.

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