Zooflagellates – protozoan, Biology

Assignment Help:

Zooflagellates – Protozoan

Zooflagellates are heterotrophs that are free living, commensals or symbiotic or parasitic in other animals. A number of species eg. Trichonynzpha and Myxotricha live within the gut of termites and digest cellulose that the wood-eating termites feed o but cannot digest for themselves.

Trichortympha lives as a mutualistic symbiont in the hindgut of wood-eating insects (termites and woodroaches). The anterior end of these large, complex flagellates (sometimes over 300 pm long) is covered with an elaborate pellicle and hundreds of flagella, but the posterior end extends pseudopods and ingests bits of wood. The flagellate is able to produce cellulose-digesting enzymes, but the insect host cannot; and therefore, depends on carbohydrates released by its symbionts.

Each time the insect molts, it loses the lining of the hindgut and all its symbionts. If it is unable to acquire new ones, it will starve to death, even though it continues to feed normally, for it cannot digest the wood. The flagellates are equally dependent on the mutualism and die within minutes outside the host. A young or newly-molted termite acquires symbionts by feeding directly from the anal opening of other termites in the colony. Myxotricha appears to be covered with flagella. But only four of these are true flagella and the others are a kind of bacteria or spirochetes (see margin remarks) attached to its surface. Their lashing movements enable the flagellate to swim about, and its own flagella help in steering.

2308_Zoo flagellates.png

                                                                 Figure: Zooflagellates parasitic in the gut of termites.

Other well known parasitic species of flagellates are Trypanosoma and Leishmania found in humans and cattle in Africa and Asia. Trypanosoma causes sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in cattle. The blood of the host is infected with the flagellate when the tsetse fly bites the host. Leishnamia is the agent for the widespread kala-azar and related disease. It affects the immune system and causes skin lesions among other effects. The host for this protozoan is the blood sucking sand fly.


Related Discussions:- Zooflagellates – protozoan

Explain nutritional biochemistry, Explain Nutritional Biochemistry A  ...

Explain Nutritional Biochemistry A  good understanding  of the  biochemical  basis  of  nutrient function  and  of  the consequence of nutrient deficiency  or excess  is  impo

Drugs derived from plants, A large number of important drugs are derived fr...

A large number of important drugs are derived from plants. For example Tubocuranin, derived from plant-based curare, is used as a muscle relaxant during surgery. Curianol, a Guy

Indifferences in ionic composition, Indifferences in ionic composition Answ...

Indifferences in ionic composition Answer A. across membranes can be created through the action of ATP driven pumps as long as number of negative and positive ions on remain equal

What is the mendel’s first law, the Mendel's first law? A Mendel's firs...

the Mendel's first law? A Mendel's first law postulates that a characteristic (trait) of an individual is always determined by two factors, one inherited from the mother and th

Retina, R E TIN A - It is inverted. Innermost, sensitive laye...

R E TIN A - It is inverted. Innermost, sensitive layer. The part of ratina which is attached to choroid is pars optica. The part of retina attached to cilliary b

What is replication, Question 1 Write a short note on the following- ...

Question 1 Write a short note on the following- Structure of DNA. Satellite DNA Transcription. pBR 322 vector Cytokines Microarrays Question 2 What is

Zoonotic diseases-kyasanur forest disease, Kyasanur forest disease Kya...

Kyasanur forest disease Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) was first recognized in 1957 as a new disease entity affecting man and monkeys in Karnataka, India. The disease is named

Genetic material, Assuming that variability of populations were non-genetic...

Assuming that variability of populations were non-genetic, that is, not controlled by genetic material, once again chance events alone would determine which of the organisms would

Cleavage, what are the chemical changes takes place during cleavage

what are the chemical changes takes place during cleavage

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd