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

How does chewing food help to speed up digestion, How does chewing food hel...

How does chewing food help to speed up digestion? Chewing reduces food to portions small sufficient to be swallowed and enhances the surface area of the food for digestive enzy

Epidemiology, Endocarditis usually occurrs more frequently in men, gender d...

Endocarditis usually occurrs more frequently in men, gender derived ratios range from 1.6 to 2.5. The age specific incidence of endocarditis increased progressively after 30 years

Cost due to injury to worker, Cost due to Injury to Worker Medical...

Cost due to Injury to Worker Medical cost - medicine, surgery, hospitalization, extended treatment. Working time lost due to injury or death. Time loss of cowork

Protozoa, What spices is protozoa

What spices is protozoa

1, #phyletic lineage ..

#phyletic lineage ..

Nursing management of myocarditis, Nursing Management Propped up po...

Nursing Management Propped up position.  Monitor signs and symptoms and laboratory test results documenting myocarditis.  Monitor adequacy of cardiac output and hemo

What are the main human degenerative diseases, Q. What are the main human d...

Q. What are the main human degenerative diseases? The major human degenerative diseases are divided into three groups, neoplastic diseases and degenerative diseases of the nerv

Explain tertiary butylhydroquinone, Tertiary Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) T...

Tertiary Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) TBHQ is moderately soluble in oil and slightly soluble in water. In many cases, TBHQ is more effective than any other antioxidant in providing

Chemical reactions which are catalysed by enzymes, Give two examples of che...

Give two examples of chemical reactions which are catalysed by enzymes in the course of brewing.  In the course of brewing, enzymes in the grain catalyse the conversion of star

Fats , FATS ( = True Fats, Triglycerides, Neutral Fats) They are es...

FATS ( = True Fats, Triglycerides, Neutral Fats) They are esters of fatty acids and 3-carbon trihydric alcohol glycerol (= glycerine). T rue fat is also called trig

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