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Locomotion in Protozoa
Dr. Poonam Bansal
Assistant Professor
Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to Be University)
Mullana
 Locomotion is the movement of the animals from place to place. It is
performed in search of food, mate, and shelter or to escape from
predators etc. it is influenced by external and internal stimuli.
 Protozoans are very primitive, single celled animals which show
great adaptability in their locomotion. They exhibit slowest
locomotion like amoeboid locomotion and also the fastest
locomotion like ciliary locomotion.
Locomotory Organs
In protozoa locomotion is brought about by
1. Cellular extensions like Pseudopodia,
2. Pellicular contractile structures like Myonemes,
3. Locomotory organelles like Flagella and Cilia
 These are temporary outgrowths of the cell.
 They are known as false feet of some Sarcodina protozoans such
as Amoeba.
 Pseudopodia are a temporary structure form by movement of cytoplasm.
 It is comprised of ectoplasm and endoplasm both.
PSEUDOPODIA
1. Depending on the number of pseudopodia
• Polypodia- Several pseudopodia formed on the surface of the body. Eg: Amoeba proteus
• Monopodia- Only single pseudopodia is formed on the surface of the body. Eg: Entamoeba histolytica
2. Depending on the structure of pseudopodia
Lobopodia
• These are relatively broad, finger like or lobe like and sometimes
branched pseudopodia, typically with rounded tips.
• composed of both the ectoplasm and the endoplasm.
• Lobopodia are characteristic of amoeba, although they are also
formed by certain flagellates and testaceans (Arcella).
• Several lobopodia may be given out from the body surface in
different directions, as in Amoeba proteus. But in others, like A.
limax, the whole body flows into a single lobopodium
Filopodia
 It is filamentous and tapering at the tip.
 It is formed of only ectoplasm.
 Sometimes they may be branched. Example- Euglypha,
Lecithium
Reiticulopodia (Rhizopodia or Myxopodia)
 These are also filamentous, branching and
anastomosing in form a network.
Reticulopodia are formed of ectoplasm.
 Primary function of these pseudopodia in
ingestion of food and the secondary function
is locomotion.
 They exhibit two way flow of the cytoplasm.
They are commonly found in foraminifers.
Eg: Elphidium, Globigerina
Axopodia
 These are fine needle like, straight pseudopodia radiating
from the surface of the body.
 Each Axopodia contain a central axial rod which is covered
by granular and adhesive cytoplasm.
 The main function of these axopodia is food collection.
 Axopodia also exhibit two-way flow of cytoplasm.
 Axopodia are mainly found in Heliozoans and radiolarians.
Example, Actinophrys and Actinosphaerium
Myonemes (Pellicular Contractile Extensions)
Many protozoans have contractile structures in the pellicle or ectoplasm called as myonemes. These may be in
the form of,
* Ridges or grooves (Eg: Euglena)
* Contractile myofibrils (Eg: Larger ciliates)
* Microtubules (Eg: Trypanosoma)
Flagella
 Flagella are the locomotory organelles of flagellate mastigophoran protozoans.
 They are mostly thread like projection on the cell surface.
 A typical flagellum consists of an elongated, stiff axial fiber called as axial filament or axoneme enclosed by
an outer sheath. The axoneme arises from basal granule called as blepharoplast or kinetosome which is
further derived from Centrioles. Blepharoplast lies below the cell surface in the ectoplasm. The region
around blepharoplast is called microtubular organizing center that controls the assembly of microtubules.
 When the axial filament is viewed under an electron microscope 9 + 2 arrangement can be observed. The 2
central longitudinal fibers are enclosed by membranous inner sheath. The 2 central longitudinal fibers are
surrounded by 9 longitudinal peripheral doublets (each with microtubules A and B) which form a cylinder
between the inner and the outer sheath. Each peripheral paired fiber is connected to the internal membranous
sheath by radial spokes.
 Each peripheral doublet also has pairs of arms directed towards neighboring doublet. These arms are made of
the protein called as dynein. The arms create the sliding force. The peripheral doublets are surrounded by an
outer membranous sheath called as protoplasmic sheath, which is an extension of the plasma membrane.
Some flagella also bear lateral appendages called as flimmers or mastigonemes along the length of the
axoneme above the level of the pellicle.
locomotion in protozoa.pptx
Types of flagella
Flagella are classified based on the arrangement of lateral
appendages and the nature of the axial filament.
Stichonematic: Only one row of lateral appendages occurs on
the axoneme up to tip. Eg: Euglena, Astasia
Pantonematic: Two or more rows of lateral appendages occur
on the axoneme Eg: Peranema, Monas
Acronematic: Lateral appendages are absent and axoneme
ends as a terminal ‘naked’ axial filament
Eg: Chlamydomonas, Polytoma
Pantacronematic: Flagellum is provided with two or more rows of lateral appendages and the axoneme ends in a
terminal naked axial filament.
Eg: Urceolus
Anematic: In some cases the flagella is simple without any lateral appendages and a terminal naked filament.
Eg: Chilomonas, Cryptomonas
Cilia
• Short hair like structures present all over the surface of the body.
• may be also confined to specific regions of the ciliate protozoan.
• help in locomotion as well as in food collection.
Structure of Cilia
• In basic structure they greatly resemble with flagella. The major difference between the flagella and the
cilia is that cilia are smaller compared to the flagella. Cilia arise from the kinetosome. Cilia consist of an
axial filament called as axoneme surrounded by the protoplasmic outer sheath.
• Electron microscopic studies of axoneme reveal 9 + 2 organization of the peripheral doublet fibrils and
central singlet fibrils. The 9 + 2 organization and the presence of the dynein arms are similar to that of the
flagellum. All these fibrils are embedded in a matrix. The central fibrils are enclosed within a delicate
sheath.
• The infraciliary system is located just beneath the pellicle. It consists of kinetosomes at the bases of cilia,
kinetodesmos or kinetodesmal fibrils that are connected to the kinetosomes and running along the right
side of each row of kinetosomes as cord of fibers known as kinetodesmata. A longitudinal row of
kinetosomes, kinetodesmal fibrils and their kinetodesmata form a unit called kinety. All the kineties
together form an infraciliary system that lies in the ectoplasm. The infraciliary system is connected to the
motorium, a neuromotor center neat the cytopharynx and forms the neuromotor system. This neuromotor
system controls and coordinates the movement of cilia.
locomotion in protozoa.pptx
There are four methods by which the protozoans
move
 Amoeboid movement
 Swimming movement
 Gliding movement
 Metabolic movement
Methods of Locomotion in Protozoans
 This type of locomotion is also called as pseudopodial
locomotion.
 locomotion is brought about by the pseudopodia.
 Movement occurs when the cytoplasm slides and
forms a pseudopodium in front to pull the cell
forward. This type of movement has been linked to
changes in action potential, though the exact
mechanism is still unknown.
 It is the characteristic of rhizopod protozoans
like Amoeba proteus and Entamoeba histolytica. Also
such movement is exhibited by amoeboid cells,
macrophages and phagocytic leucocytes like
monocytes and neutrophils of metazoans
Amoeboid Movement
Swimming Movement
• Swimming movement in protozoans is caused by the flagella and cilia.
• Flagella bring about the movement of some parasites in the body fluids of the
hosts.
• Movement is caused by the beating flagella and cilia are also known as
undulipodia.
It can be of two types depending on the structure involved
• Flagellar movement
• Ciliary movement
Flagellar movement
 Many theories have been put forth to elucidate the mechanism
of flagellar movement.
 In 1967, Vickerman and Cox, stated that they makes direct
contribution to locomotion.
 Butschli suggested that the flagellum undergoes a series of
lateral movements and so, a pressure is exerted on the water at
ripressure is exerted on the water at right angles to its surface.
This pressure creates two forces one directed parallel (which
drive animal forward), and the other at right angles to the main
axis of the body (would rotate the animal on its own axis ).
 While, In 1928 Gray suggested that a series of waves pass from
one end of the flagellum to the other. These waves create two
types of forces, one in the direction of the movement and the
other in the circular direction with the main axis of the body.
The former will drive the animal forward and the latter would
rotate the animal.
 It was presumed that the flagellum is directed forwards during
flagellar movement but now it is generally agreed that the
flagellum is straight and turgid in effective stroke and dropped
backwards in the recovery stroke.
 Lowndes (1941-43) has pointed out that the flagellum is
directed backwards during locomotion.
 According to him, a series of spiral waves pass successively
from the base to the tip of the backwardly directed flagellum
at about 12 per second with increasing velocity and amplitude.
 The waves proceed along the flagellum in a spiral manner and
cause the body of Euglena to rotate once in a second. Thus, in
its locomotion, it traces a spiral path about a straight line and
moves forward. The rate of movement is 3 mm per minute.
 movement of flagellum is related to the contraction of its all
fibrils. The energy for the contraction of these fibrils is derived
from ATPs formed in the mitochondria of blepharoplasts.
Successive stages in flagellar movement
Ciliary Movement
 Cilia operate like flexible oars; they have a unilateral (one-
sided) beat lying in a single plane. As a cilium moves
backward, it is relatively rigid; upon recovery, however, the
cilium becomes flexible, and its tip appears to be dragged
forward along the body.
 Because the cilia either completely cover, as in ciliate
protozoans, or are arranged in bands or clumps, the
movement of each cilium must be closely coordinated with
the movements of all other cilia.
 This coordination is achieved by metachronal rhythm, in
which a wave of simultaneously beating groups of cilia
moves from the anterior to the posterior end of the organism.
 In addition to avoiding interference between adjacent cilia,
the metachronal wave also produces continuous forward
locomotion because there are always groups of cilia beating
backward. Moreover, because the plane of the ciliary beat is
diagonal to the longitudinal axis of the body, ciliate
organisms rotate during locomotion.
Gliding Movement
 The zigzag movement brought about by the contraction and relaxation of myonemes
(are the contractile fibrils which are similar to the myofibrils) present below the
pellicle in the ectoplasm is called as the gliding movement. The movement by gliding
is comparatively small.
 This movement is commonly seen in some sporozoans (parasitic protozoans), in
which the organism glides forward with no change in form and no apparent
contractions of the body.
 This kind of gliding movement is also shown by flagellates, Cnidospora and some
ciliates.
Metabolic Movement
 In protozoans a. In many protozoans protein strips (pellicle is present in the ectoplasm which
is composed of proteinaceous strips supported by dorsal and ventral microtubules) can slide
past one another, causing wriggling motion. This wriggling motion is called as metabolic
movement.
 Is mainly caused by the change in the shape of the body.
 Observed in most of the sporozoans at certain stages of life cycle.
 Referred to as Gregarine movements as this movement is the characteristic of most of the
gregarines.

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locomotion in protozoa.pptx

  • 1. Locomotion in Protozoa Dr. Poonam Bansal Assistant Professor Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to Be University) Mullana
  • 2.  Locomotion is the movement of the animals from place to place. It is performed in search of food, mate, and shelter or to escape from predators etc. it is influenced by external and internal stimuli.  Protozoans are very primitive, single celled animals which show great adaptability in their locomotion. They exhibit slowest locomotion like amoeboid locomotion and also the fastest locomotion like ciliary locomotion. Locomotory Organs
  • 3. In protozoa locomotion is brought about by 1. Cellular extensions like Pseudopodia, 2. Pellicular contractile structures like Myonemes, 3. Locomotory organelles like Flagella and Cilia
  • 4.  These are temporary outgrowths of the cell.  They are known as false feet of some Sarcodina protozoans such as Amoeba.  Pseudopodia are a temporary structure form by movement of cytoplasm.  It is comprised of ectoplasm and endoplasm both. PSEUDOPODIA
  • 5. 1. Depending on the number of pseudopodia • Polypodia- Several pseudopodia formed on the surface of the body. Eg: Amoeba proteus • Monopodia- Only single pseudopodia is formed on the surface of the body. Eg: Entamoeba histolytica 2. Depending on the structure of pseudopodia Lobopodia • These are relatively broad, finger like or lobe like and sometimes branched pseudopodia, typically with rounded tips. • composed of both the ectoplasm and the endoplasm. • Lobopodia are characteristic of amoeba, although they are also formed by certain flagellates and testaceans (Arcella). • Several lobopodia may be given out from the body surface in different directions, as in Amoeba proteus. But in others, like A. limax, the whole body flows into a single lobopodium
  • 6. Filopodia  It is filamentous and tapering at the tip.  It is formed of only ectoplasm.  Sometimes they may be branched. Example- Euglypha, Lecithium Reiticulopodia (Rhizopodia or Myxopodia)  These are also filamentous, branching and anastomosing in form a network. Reticulopodia are formed of ectoplasm.  Primary function of these pseudopodia in ingestion of food and the secondary function is locomotion.  They exhibit two way flow of the cytoplasm. They are commonly found in foraminifers. Eg: Elphidium, Globigerina
  • 7. Axopodia  These are fine needle like, straight pseudopodia radiating from the surface of the body.  Each Axopodia contain a central axial rod which is covered by granular and adhesive cytoplasm.  The main function of these axopodia is food collection.  Axopodia also exhibit two-way flow of cytoplasm.  Axopodia are mainly found in Heliozoans and radiolarians. Example, Actinophrys and Actinosphaerium
  • 8. Myonemes (Pellicular Contractile Extensions) Many protozoans have contractile structures in the pellicle or ectoplasm called as myonemes. These may be in the form of, * Ridges or grooves (Eg: Euglena) * Contractile myofibrils (Eg: Larger ciliates) * Microtubules (Eg: Trypanosoma)
  • 9. Flagella  Flagella are the locomotory organelles of flagellate mastigophoran protozoans.  They are mostly thread like projection on the cell surface.  A typical flagellum consists of an elongated, stiff axial fiber called as axial filament or axoneme enclosed by an outer sheath. The axoneme arises from basal granule called as blepharoplast or kinetosome which is further derived from Centrioles. Blepharoplast lies below the cell surface in the ectoplasm. The region around blepharoplast is called microtubular organizing center that controls the assembly of microtubules.  When the axial filament is viewed under an electron microscope 9 + 2 arrangement can be observed. The 2 central longitudinal fibers are enclosed by membranous inner sheath. The 2 central longitudinal fibers are surrounded by 9 longitudinal peripheral doublets (each with microtubules A and B) which form a cylinder between the inner and the outer sheath. Each peripheral paired fiber is connected to the internal membranous sheath by radial spokes.  Each peripheral doublet also has pairs of arms directed towards neighboring doublet. These arms are made of the protein called as dynein. The arms create the sliding force. The peripheral doublets are surrounded by an outer membranous sheath called as protoplasmic sheath, which is an extension of the plasma membrane. Some flagella also bear lateral appendages called as flimmers or mastigonemes along the length of the axoneme above the level of the pellicle.
  • 11. Types of flagella Flagella are classified based on the arrangement of lateral appendages and the nature of the axial filament. Stichonematic: Only one row of lateral appendages occurs on the axoneme up to tip. Eg: Euglena, Astasia Pantonematic: Two or more rows of lateral appendages occur on the axoneme Eg: Peranema, Monas Acronematic: Lateral appendages are absent and axoneme ends as a terminal ‘naked’ axial filament Eg: Chlamydomonas, Polytoma Pantacronematic: Flagellum is provided with two or more rows of lateral appendages and the axoneme ends in a terminal naked axial filament. Eg: Urceolus Anematic: In some cases the flagella is simple without any lateral appendages and a terminal naked filament. Eg: Chilomonas, Cryptomonas
  • 12. Cilia • Short hair like structures present all over the surface of the body. • may be also confined to specific regions of the ciliate protozoan. • help in locomotion as well as in food collection. Structure of Cilia • In basic structure they greatly resemble with flagella. The major difference between the flagella and the cilia is that cilia are smaller compared to the flagella. Cilia arise from the kinetosome. Cilia consist of an axial filament called as axoneme surrounded by the protoplasmic outer sheath. • Electron microscopic studies of axoneme reveal 9 + 2 organization of the peripheral doublet fibrils and central singlet fibrils. The 9 + 2 organization and the presence of the dynein arms are similar to that of the flagellum. All these fibrils are embedded in a matrix. The central fibrils are enclosed within a delicate sheath. • The infraciliary system is located just beneath the pellicle. It consists of kinetosomes at the bases of cilia, kinetodesmos or kinetodesmal fibrils that are connected to the kinetosomes and running along the right side of each row of kinetosomes as cord of fibers known as kinetodesmata. A longitudinal row of kinetosomes, kinetodesmal fibrils and their kinetodesmata form a unit called kinety. All the kineties together form an infraciliary system that lies in the ectoplasm. The infraciliary system is connected to the motorium, a neuromotor center neat the cytopharynx and forms the neuromotor system. This neuromotor system controls and coordinates the movement of cilia.
  • 14. There are four methods by which the protozoans move  Amoeboid movement  Swimming movement  Gliding movement  Metabolic movement Methods of Locomotion in Protozoans
  • 15.  This type of locomotion is also called as pseudopodial locomotion.  locomotion is brought about by the pseudopodia.  Movement occurs when the cytoplasm slides and forms a pseudopodium in front to pull the cell forward. This type of movement has been linked to changes in action potential, though the exact mechanism is still unknown.  It is the characteristic of rhizopod protozoans like Amoeba proteus and Entamoeba histolytica. Also such movement is exhibited by amoeboid cells, macrophages and phagocytic leucocytes like monocytes and neutrophils of metazoans Amoeboid Movement
  • 16. Swimming Movement • Swimming movement in protozoans is caused by the flagella and cilia. • Flagella bring about the movement of some parasites in the body fluids of the hosts. • Movement is caused by the beating flagella and cilia are also known as undulipodia. It can be of two types depending on the structure involved • Flagellar movement • Ciliary movement
  • 17. Flagellar movement  Many theories have been put forth to elucidate the mechanism of flagellar movement.  In 1967, Vickerman and Cox, stated that they makes direct contribution to locomotion.  Butschli suggested that the flagellum undergoes a series of lateral movements and so, a pressure is exerted on the water at ripressure is exerted on the water at right angles to its surface. This pressure creates two forces one directed parallel (which drive animal forward), and the other at right angles to the main axis of the body (would rotate the animal on its own axis ).  While, In 1928 Gray suggested that a series of waves pass from one end of the flagellum to the other. These waves create two types of forces, one in the direction of the movement and the other in the circular direction with the main axis of the body. The former will drive the animal forward and the latter would rotate the animal.
  • 18.  It was presumed that the flagellum is directed forwards during flagellar movement but now it is generally agreed that the flagellum is straight and turgid in effective stroke and dropped backwards in the recovery stroke.  Lowndes (1941-43) has pointed out that the flagellum is directed backwards during locomotion.  According to him, a series of spiral waves pass successively from the base to the tip of the backwardly directed flagellum at about 12 per second with increasing velocity and amplitude.  The waves proceed along the flagellum in a spiral manner and cause the body of Euglena to rotate once in a second. Thus, in its locomotion, it traces a spiral path about a straight line and moves forward. The rate of movement is 3 mm per minute.  movement of flagellum is related to the contraction of its all fibrils. The energy for the contraction of these fibrils is derived from ATPs formed in the mitochondria of blepharoplasts. Successive stages in flagellar movement
  • 19. Ciliary Movement  Cilia operate like flexible oars; they have a unilateral (one- sided) beat lying in a single plane. As a cilium moves backward, it is relatively rigid; upon recovery, however, the cilium becomes flexible, and its tip appears to be dragged forward along the body.  Because the cilia either completely cover, as in ciliate protozoans, or are arranged in bands or clumps, the movement of each cilium must be closely coordinated with the movements of all other cilia.  This coordination is achieved by metachronal rhythm, in which a wave of simultaneously beating groups of cilia moves from the anterior to the posterior end of the organism.  In addition to avoiding interference between adjacent cilia, the metachronal wave also produces continuous forward locomotion because there are always groups of cilia beating backward. Moreover, because the plane of the ciliary beat is diagonal to the longitudinal axis of the body, ciliate organisms rotate during locomotion.
  • 20. Gliding Movement  The zigzag movement brought about by the contraction and relaxation of myonemes (are the contractile fibrils which are similar to the myofibrils) present below the pellicle in the ectoplasm is called as the gliding movement. The movement by gliding is comparatively small.  This movement is commonly seen in some sporozoans (parasitic protozoans), in which the organism glides forward with no change in form and no apparent contractions of the body.  This kind of gliding movement is also shown by flagellates, Cnidospora and some ciliates.
  • 21. Metabolic Movement  In protozoans a. In many protozoans protein strips (pellicle is present in the ectoplasm which is composed of proteinaceous strips supported by dorsal and ventral microtubules) can slide past one another, causing wriggling motion. This wriggling motion is called as metabolic movement.  Is mainly caused by the change in the shape of the body.  Observed in most of the sporozoans at certain stages of life cycle.  Referred to as Gregarine movements as this movement is the characteristic of most of the gregarines.