General structure and reproduction in protozoa

plasmodium

-By Harshitha PR
1st M.Sc. Biotechnology
Protozoa

INTRODUCTION:
• The word protozoa is taken from the Greek word PROTOZOAN
which means ‘’first animal’’.
• A protozoan can be defined as usually motile eukaryotic
unicellular protist.
• More than 65000 species are included in protozoa.
• Protozoa few species are pathogenic in nature.
Distribution: • Protozoa grow in wide variety of
moist habitats.
• Most protozoa are free living and in
STUCTURE OF PROTOZOA habitat fresh water or marine
environment.
• Many terrestrial protozoa can be
found in decaying organic matter, in
soil and even in beach soil.
• Some are parasitic in plants or
animals.
 Characteristics
• They are unicellular.
• Most protozoa are chemoheterotropic, two types of
heterotopic nutrition holozoic and saprozoic.
•  Some protozoa have one nucleus, others have two or more
identical nuclei: two distinct types macronucleus and
micronucleus.
• Most anaerobic protozoa have no mitochondria, no
cytochromes, and an incomplete tricarboxylic acid cycle.
 • Protozoa play a significant role in the
economy of nature, for example
plankton, free floating organism that
are an important link in the many
aquatic environment.
• Many bio-chemical pathways are
used by protozoa are presenting all
eukaryotic cells.
Cysts • Some of the most important disease
of human are caused by protozoa.
• Some produce cysts. They have a thick
cell wall they protect against adverse
changes in environment ,such as
nutrient deficiency, adverse pH and
low partial pressure of ozone.
 Reproduction
• Reproduction is by both sexually and asexually.
• Sexual reproduction is by conjugation.
• Asexual reproduction is by Binary fission.
 Classification
Representative types:
• Phylum Sarcomastigophora:
Diseases: amoebic dysentery, infection in central nervous
system.
• Phylum mycospora
• Phylum Apicomplexa:
Diseases: plasmodium –malaria, toxoplasmosis.
• Phylum Microspora:
• Diseases: Brachiola Algeria, nosema ocularum.
• Phylum ciliophora: Disease: balantidium coli.
• Phylum Ascetosphora
 • Plasmodium is a parasite which
PLASMODIUM causes malaria in humans. It has
several species that infects humans
they are plasmodium vivax,
Plasmodium falciparum,
Plasmodium malaria, plasmodium
knowlesi causes malarial infection.
• Plasmodium is unicellur eukaryotes;
they are obligate parasites of
vertebrates and insects.
• It helps in development of blood
feeding insects host, then it injects
to parasites into a host during
blood meal.
 Malaria
• The Plasmodium parasite which is spread by female anopheles
mosquitoes.
• The parasite spread to humans through the bites of infected
mosquitoes.
• The parasite which is enters the bloodstream and travel to liver. The
infection develops in the liver before re-entering the blood stream
and invading the red blood cells.
• The parasites grow and multiply in the red blood cells, infected blood
cells burst every 48-72 hours and get fever, chills and sweating.
• Malaria can also be spread through blood transfusions and sharing
needles.
Treatment:
• Malaria treated with prescription drugs to kill the parasites.
• Medication: Antemisinin-based combination therapies(ACTs).
• Chloroquine phosphate
Bibliography:
• Prescott microbiology- 7th edition...pdf
• Prescott microbiology- 6th edition...pdf
• Goldsmith R, Henyman D (eds): Tropical medicine and
parasitology.
• Pictures from internet.
THANK YOU