Ciliates, Euglenozoa, and Malaria

Question 1

Characteristics of Ciliates

Answer 1

NOT AMEBOID PROTISTS

Unicellular chemoorganoheterotrophs, Have cilia; Primarily predators and scavengers; Also a few parasites(one pathogen)

Most recently evolved groups of protists, having significant organelle diversity!!

Each organelle is responsible for particular physiological, cellular, and/or physical process(Feeding, water intake/balance, waste disposal(in multiple ways), homeostasis(system balance), etc. )

Question 2

Specialized ciliate structures

Answer 2

gullet, food vacuole, anal pore/cytoproct, contractile vacuole, macronucleus, micronucleus

Question 3

Gullet

Answer 3

oral groove in ciliates, for feeding on bacteria, small protists, dead organic particles; lined with cilia

Question 4

Food vacuole

Answer 4

structure in ciliates

multiple, flooded with enzymes; for intake/digestion of food and water, form at end of gullet/oral groove

attach to end of oral groove to collect food, become bigger over more intake

Question 5

Anal pore/cytoproct

Answer 5

structure in ciliates where waste from food vacuoles is emptied into external environment

Question 6

Contractile vacuole

Answer 6

structure in ciliates that aggregate/dispose of water, waste from cytoplasm, osmoregulation(water/ion balance); Focused on homeostasis in cell; Look like suns/stars; Center/circular shape shows increase/decrease in size with disposal of water

Question 7

macronucleus

Answer 7

structure in cilitates associated with metabolism/homeostasis, maintenance of consistent/balanced conditions in cell; Critical; if not effective, could swell to burst; waste building up can build toxicity

Question 8

micronucleus

Answer 8

structure in ciliates that allows sexual reproduction(conjugation to occur)

Question 9

Conjugation

Answer 9

process in cilitates made possible with micronucleus, bring sexual and asexual reproduction to be connected together

Brings genetic diversity into population

Question 10

Process of Reproduction for Ciliates

Answer 10

uses combination of conjugation in sexual reproduction alongside binary fission in asexual reproduction to create genetic diversity

binary fission creates duplicates in population, with conjugation allowing exchange of genetics to create diversity

Question 11

Euglenozoa

Answer 11

NEITHER AMEBOID OR CILIATE

unicellular, has flagellum, can be photoautotrophs or chemoorganoheterotrophs

Question 12

Photoautotrophic Euglenozoa

Answer 12

Packed with chloroplasts, organelles that aid in photosynthesis(getting energy/carbon); Have specialized organelles responsible for different physiological cellular processes, including chloroplasts; Common in natural environments, where they can “bloom”: increase dramatically in abundance like phytoplankton

Question 13

Examples of photoautotrophic euglenozoa

Answer 13

Euglena viridis(blooms water green) and Euglena sanguinea(blooms water red, but NOT RED TIDE)

Question 14

Chemoorganoheterotroph Euglenozoa

Answer 14

Scavengers: consume bacteria and dead organic matter for their energy and carbon needs; Pathogens

Question 15

3 Examples of Chemoorganoheterotroph Euglenozoa

Answer 15

Trypanosomiasis(including trypanosoma brucei and trypanosoma cruzi) and Leishmaniasis

Question 16

Trypanosoma brucei

Answer 16

cause African sleeping sickness; devastating disease, significant problem; affects nervous system; leads to cardiac/kidney failure, death

Treatable but moves quickly; Can come from Tsetse fly; Can happen through saliva of fly or from their defecation left on skin; Can even have variability (most wiped out through medication, but small few can be left behind)

Question 17

Trypanosoma cruzi

Answer 17

chagas disease, Found in central/South America; recent cases in southern US; effects cardiac/intestinal systems; Passed by Kissing Bug, Passes through Bites and/or feces

Bug is host for this parasite(carrier, not affected); Bite has saliva to numb area of bite so they go unnoticed

Question 18

Description of Malaria

Answer 18

Disease caused by protists in Phylum Apicomplexa, NOT EUGLENOZOA; In Genus Plasmodium (multiple species)

Disease passed to humans through bites from mosquitos (Anopheles genus) in saliva; gets into blood, where it infects red blood cells; Leads to multiple organ failure, high mortality without treatment

Question 19

What is the significant issue with Malaria today?

Answer 19

Top killer in the world historically, Now 200-250 million cases per year globally; Approx. 5 million deaths per year, 75% are children under 5 years old(**Many in Africa)

Increasing resistance of malarial parasites to treatment, lots of research into new medications to treat it

Question 20

Malaria in North America

Answer 20

No longer found in North America; Used to be common, even in Ohio (Great Black Swamp Toledo); Accomplished by killing mosquitos and draining wetlands(breeding habitat of mosquitos), Accomplished using medications

Question 21

The Goal of Studies towards Malaria

Answer 21

Gone by 2040, Focus on innovative technologies(Genetic engineering of them, Vaccines, New medications to reduce effects); Long-lasting Insecticidal Nets: soaked in insecticide that will attach to and kill mosquitos; greatly reduced prevalence of malaria in many communities

Focus on new medications/vaccine/genetic approaches to make mosquitos sterile