1. Protozoa Tamboli A. Z. Dept. of zoology, S. M. Joshi College, Hadapsar
Protozoa Tamboli A.Z. Dept. of zoology, S.M.Joshi College, Hadapsar. F.Y.B.Sc.

2. General Characteristics
Single-celled or unicellular organisms; some live in colonies;
Size = microscopic (3 to 1,000 microns).
No germ layers, tissues, or organs;
However, specialized intracellular "organelles" are present
Over 64, 000 species have been described; about 50, 000 are free-living

3. Locomotion by pseudopodia, flagella, or cilia.
Symmetry = all types (bilateral, radial, spherical, or asymmetrical)
Free living, commensal, parasitic, or mutualistic
Mostly naked, but few have simple protective exoskeletons (tests), E.g. Arcella and Difflugia

4. Nutrition = autotrophic (holophytic), saprozoic, saprophytic, or holozoic.
Reproduction: asexual = longitudinal and transverse binary fission, budding, multiple fission (sporogony, schizogony)
Sexual = syngamy, autogamy, conjugation

5. List of Phyla Phylum Sarcodina Phylum Mastigophora
Amoeba-like organisms (e.g. Amoeba, Entamoeba, Arcella)
Phylum Mastigophora
Phytomatigophorans (e.g. Euglena, Chlamydomonas)
Zoomastigophorans (e.g. Trypanosoma, Giardia, Trichonomas, Trichonympha)
Phylum Chlorophyta (e.g. Volvox)
Phylum Ciliophora (e.g. Paramecium, Balantidium,)
Phylum Apicomplexa (e.g. Plasmodium, Eimeria, Toxoplasma, Isospora)

6. Phylum Sarcodina
Organisms move by pseudopodia, flagella, or a combination
Single nucleus, or monomorphic nuclei
Genera
Amoeba - without a test, naked (free-living)
Arcella - with a calcareous test (free-living)
Entamoeba - without a test (parasitic)

7. Figure 11.10

8. Amoeba Pseudopod Food Vacuole Contractile Vacuole Nucleus Phagocytosis
Hyaline Cap

9. Amoeba hunting
food

10. Arcella
Test
Nucleus
Pseudopod
Arcella

11. Subphylum Euglenoidea
Plant like organisms; photosynthesis
Solitary
Symmetry is usually bilateral
Presence of stigma for light detection

12. Euglena

13. Euglena
Chloroplasts
Contractile Vacuole
Flagellum not
visible
Stigma

14. Kinetoplastida Organisms are only heterotrophic
No chloroplasts present
all parasitic
Red Blood Cells
Organism
Trypanosoma smear – cause of sleeping sickness

15. Trypanasoma sp.
Trypanosoma
Red Blood Cells

16. Leishmania sp
Giardia sp

17. Phylum Chlorophyta Flagellated single or colonial organisms
All members are autotrophic, chloroplasts with chlorophyll
Genetically different from Euglenozoa

18. Volvox life cycle

19. Zygote
Egg
Mother
Colony
Volvox

20. Phylum Apicomplexa organisms do not have locomotor structures;
all species are parasitic
asexual reproduction involves multiple fission (schizogony, sporogony)
Plasmodium smear – cause of Malaria

21. Final Host
Plasmodium – agent
For malaria
Vector

22. Ring stage
merozoite
trophozoite
Red blood cell
Trophozooite

23. Ring stage in red blood cell
Ring stage – Early Trophozoite

24. Merozoites in the Schizont
Schizont with merozoites in red blood cell
Red blood cell
Merozoites in the Schizont

25. Female
Male
Gametocytes

26. Phylum Ciliophora: The Ciliates
Organisms move by cilia
Usually two sizes of nuclei ; Macronucleus and micronucleus
Reproduction usually by transverse binary fission
Sexual reproduction by conjugation

27. Paramecium

28. Binary Fission – Asexual Reproduction

29. Conjugation – sexual reproduction

30. Vorticella

31. Stentor

32. Protozoa: Ecological Importance
Unicellular level of organization
Highly specialized organelles for various physiological processes
Prominent members of the aquatic food chain, especially detritivores and
Symbiosis is highly developed among members i.e. Commensals, parasites, mutuals, and detritivores with multicellular organisms