GENERAL PROTOZOOLOGY

1
GENERAL PROTOZOOLOGY
By
Dr. Emad AbdElhameed Morad
Lecturer of Medical Microbiology and Immunology
2
Protozoa are

• Unicellular organisms.
• Structurally equivalent to a single cell.
• But, functionally, equal to a whole animal as it
  can perform all functions of life.
• Each cell is formed of a mass of protoplasm
  which is differentiated into

Cytoplasm
Nucleus
3
Cytoplasm

• Cytoplasm is differentiated into ectoplasm and
  endoplasm.
• Protection from the surrounding environment.
• Locomotion motility of the cell may occur by
  pseudopodia, cilia and flagellae.

Outer thin hyaline layer
Ectoplasm
4

• Nutrition by absorption of nutrients or ingestion
  of solid particles by the help of pseudopodia or
  cytosome.
• Respiration through diffusion of gases (aerobic
  and anaerobic).
• Excretion through diffusion through the body or
  by excretory vacuoles.

5

• Food vacuoles for digestion of food.
• Excretory vacuoles discharging waste products
  to exterior.
• Volutin granules stored food in the form of
  carbohydrates (glycogen vacuoles) or protein
  (chromatoid bodies).

Inner granular layer
Endoplasm
6
Nucleus

• Made of nuclear membrane and chromatin which
  represent the genetic material of the cell (DNA
  or RNA).
• The chromatin is present in a single mass called
  karyosome and also distributed on the inner
  surface of nuclear membrane (peripheral
  chromatin).
• In some protozoa, chromatin is present diffusely
  through out the nucleus.

7
Reproduction

• Asexual
• Simple division of the nucleus and cytoplasm
  into two parts (binary fission) or several parts
  (multiple fission).
• Sexual
• Formation of male and female gametes by meiosis
  and their union to form zygote.

8
Classification

• According to the organs of locomotion
• Class rhizopoda
• Move by pseudopodia (false legs).
• Example amoeba.

9

• Class ciliates
• Move by cilia which are small thin filaments
  found on the entire surface of the cell.
• Example Balantidium coli.

10

• Class Flagellates
• Move by flagellae which are thin whip like
  filaments that arise from inside the cell.
• According the habitat
• Intestinal such as Giardia lamblia.
• Urogenital such as Trichomonas vaginalis.
• Blood such as leishmania and trypanosoma.

11

• Class sporoza
• Move by gliding.
• Examples
• Plasmodium cause malaria.
• Coccidia cause diseases such as toxoplasmosis.

12
GOOD LUCK