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2.2 Introduction in Protozoa - Generalities

Protozoa are a diverse group of unicellular eukaryotic organisms that are heterotrophic and lack chlorophyll. They range in size but are generally 1-10 micrometers. Protozoa can be free-living or parasitic and have various modes of locomotion, nutrition, reproduction, and osmoregulation. They are classified into groups including Sporozoa, Ciliophora, Rhizopoda, and Zoomastigophora based on characteristics like presence of pseudopodia or flagella. Protozoa can be beneficial by providing food, controlling insects, or purifying water, but some are also harmful through polluting water or reducing soil fertility.

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417 views

2.2 Introduction in Protozoa - Generalities

Protozoa are a diverse group of unicellular eukaryotic organisms that are heterotrophic and lack chlorophyll. They range in size but are generally 1-10 micrometers. Protozoa can be free-living or parasitic and have various modes of locomotion, nutrition, reproduction, and osmoregulation. They are classified into groups including Sporozoa, Ciliophora, Rhizopoda, and Zoomastigophora based on characteristics like presence of pseudopodia or flagella. Protozoa can be beneficial by providing food, controlling insects, or purifying water, but some are also harmful through polluting water or reducing soil fertility.

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PROTOZOA

 Protozoa are a diverse group of unicellular eukaryotic


organisms.
 The word “protozoa” by coined by GEORG AUGUST
GOLDFUSS in 1818.
 They are heterotrophic organisms and they donot
have chlorophyll.

eg: Amoeba, paramecium, euglena.


CHARACTERISTICS
 A protozoan body consists of only mass of
protoplasm, so they are called acellular or non-cellular
animals.
 HABITAT - mostly aquatic, either free living or
parasitic.
 SIZE - most protozoans are in the size of 1 to 10
micrometer long, but Balantidium coli may measure
150 micrometer.
 BODY- body of protozoa is either naked or covered by a
pellicle.
 LOCOMOTION- locomotary organ are pseudopodia or cilia
or absent.
 NUTRITION - nutrition are holophytic (like plant) or
holozoic (like animal) or saprophytic or parasitic.
 DIGESTION - digestion is intracellular, occurs in food
vacoules.
 RESPIRATION - respiration occurs through the body
surface.
 OSMOREGULATION – contractile vacoules helps in
osmoregulation.
 In most protozoa, the cytoplasm is differentiated into
ectoplasm (the outer, transparent layer) and endoplasm
(the inner layer containing organelles).
 The structure of cytoplasm is mostly seen in species with
projecting pseudopodia, such as amoebas.
 REPRODUCTION - reproduction occurs by both sexual
and asexual reproduction.
 Asexual - usually by binary fission.
 Sexual - happens by Conjugation .
 NUCLEUS - Nucleus may be compact with diffuse
chromatin or vesicular with central or eccentric karyosome
(DNA) and peripheral chromatin (RNA).
 RESPIRATION – respiration is mostly anaerobic.
CLASSIFICATION OF PROTOZOA
SPOROZOA

 Commonly parasitic on
vertebrate animals.
 Locomotory organ and
contractile vacuoles are
absent.
 Body covered with pellicle.
 Exclusively endoparasites.
 Reproduction by means of
asexual and sexual.
 Examples: Plasmodium,
Monocystis.
CILIOPHORA

 Complex freshwater or
saltwater protozoan.
 It swims by the coordinated
beating of their cilia.
 Nuclei is of two types:
micronucleus and
macronucleus.
 Body is covered by pellicle.
 Examples: Paramecium,
Voricella.
RHIZOPODA

 These are amoeboid


organisms that produce false
pseudopodia.
 It preys on fungi , other
protists and small
invertebrates.
 Reporduction by means of
sexual and asexual.
 Mostly free living, some are
parasitic.
 Examples: Amoeba,
Entamoeba.
ZOOMASTIGOPHORA

 It is characterised by one or
more flagella.
 Free living or parasite.
 Body covered with cellulose,
chitin or silica.
 Sexual reproduction occurs
by longitudinal fission.
 Examples: Trypnosoma.
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF
PROTOZOA

Protozoans are classified into two types based on


their activites.

 Harmful protozoa
 Beneficial protozoa
BENEFICIAL PROTOZOA
 Food - Protozoa provide food for insect larvae and
worms, which are taken by fishes and crabs and which
are eated by man.
 Insect control - Several protozoa control harmful
insects by persisting their bodies.
 Helpful in Sanitation - A large number of protozoa
living in polluted water feed upon organic matters and
thus purify it.
 Oil exploration - Petroleum is organic origin. The skeletal
deposit of Forminifera and Radiolaria are often found in
association with oil deposits. In this means, they help in
the exact location of oil.
 Scientific study - Many protozoa are used in biological and
medical researches.
HARMFUL PROTOZOA
 Pollution of water - Drinking water in natural condition is
made unpalatable by the reproduction of some free living
protozoa in it.
 Destruction of wooden articles - Some flagellater like
Trichonympha and Colonympha live in the gut of termites
and help in cellular digestion.
 Reduction in Fertility of soil - Protozoans feed on nitrogen
fixing bacteria thus reduce the fertility of soil.

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