LESSON1 Flashcards
What is the definition of animal systematics?
The science of animal diversity
Who defined animal systematics?
E. Mayr, 1969
What does ecology study?
The relationship between organisms & their environment
What is the origin of the word evolution?
From the Latin ēvolūtiō, meaning an unrolling
What are the two scales of evolution mentioned?
- Small-scale evolution * Large-scale evolution
What traditional classification methods are used for invertebrates?
- Morphology * Embryology
What recent advancements have changed invertebrate classification?
Molecular biology techniques and informatics
What are the essential features to identify each protistan group?
To be discussed in the course
What is the general characteristics of most protists?
Most are microscopic and have a protoplasmic level of organization
How do protists reproduce?
Asexually and/or sexually
What locomotory organelles are present in protists?
- Flagellum * Pseudopods * Cilia
What is the function of the contractile vacuole in protists?
Involved in osmoregulation and discharge of metabolites
What are the two cytoplasmic layers in many protists?
- Ectoplasm * Endoplasm
What is the role of mitochondria in protists?
Main source of ATP, important for movement and lipid deposition
What are chromatophores?
Pigments present in the cytoplasm of plant-like flagellates
What is a kinetoplast?
A small compact body attached to the rhizoplast in trypanosomatid flagellates
What are trichocysts?
Defense structures in ciliates used for seizing prey and anchoring
How do protists perform gas exchange?
Through the plasma membrane
What is osmoregulation in protists?
Maintaining optimal internal ion concentration relative to the external environment
What is the process by which protists ingest food?
Through the cytostome or by capturing with pseudopods
What are the categories of free-living protists according to Kolkwitz & Marsson?
- Katharobic * Oligosaprobic * Mesosaprobic * Polysaprobic
What type of protists are holophytic?
Plant-like flagellates that produce starch by photosynthesis
What type of protists are holozoic?
Heterotrophic protists that utilize plant and animal matter for food
What is the function of lysosomes in protists?
To digest food within the phagolysosome
What is the significance of the nuclear membrane in protists?
It separates the nucleus from the cytoplasm
What is the difference between a macronucleus and a micronucleus?
Ciliates have two nuclei; the macronucleus is larger and the micronucleus is smaller
What is the definition of ‘aprobic’?
Low oxygen concentration and rich in carbonic acid
Example organisms include Hexamita inflata and Pelomyxa palustris.
What type of protists are Trichodina parabranchiola?
Epizootic ciliates attached to the skin or gills of fish.
What are the three classifications of endozoic protistan parasites?
- Coelozoic - inhabits hollow organs (e.g. Gregarina)
- Histozoic - inhabits tissues (e.g. Trypanosomes)
- Cytozoic - inside cells (e.g. Plasmodium)
What is the main locomotory organelle of flagellated protists?
Whip-like flagellum.
What is the classification of flagellated protists?
- Phytomastigophoreans - autotrophic flagellates
- Zoomastigophoreans - animal-like flagellates.
What is a stichonematic flagellum?
One row of filaments (mastigonemes) extending along one side of the sheath
Example: Euglena.
What is the ultrastructure configuration of a flagellum?
9+2 microtubule configuration.
How do phytomastigophoreans produce energy?
Through photosynthesis, producing starch.
What is the function of the red eyespot in phytomastigophoreans?
To detect light.
What is the asexual reproduction method in Euglena?
Binary longitudinal fission.
What is the process of sexual reproduction in Volvox?
Formation of gametes (egg and sperm) from biflagellated cells.
What is the role of the tsetse fly in the lifecycle of Trypanosoma brucei?
Transmits metacyclic trypomastigotes to the human host.
What are the symptoms associated with Chagas disease caused by T. cruzi?
- Cardiomegaly
- Apical aneurysm of the heart
- Megaesophagus
- Megacolon.
What type of organism is Giardia lamblia?
A flagellate that infects humans through cyst-contaminated water or food.
What are the types of pseudopods found in sarcodinians?
- Limax
- Lobopodia
- Filopodia
- Rhizopodia
- Axopodia.
What is a notable feature of lobopodia?
Broad, rounded tips.
What characterizes axopodia?
Semi-transparent axial filament with a cytoplasmic sheath.
What phylum do Trypanosoma and Giardia belong to?
Phylum Euglenozoa and Phylum Retortamonada respectively.
What is the function of the flagellum in flagellates?
Locomotion.
What is the classification of the genus Leishmania?
Found in Asia, Southern Europe, Africa, North America, and South America.
What is the characteristic of the sandfly vector in the lifecycle of Leishmania?
Introduces the promastigote stage to the human host.
What is the significance of Hexamita sp. in domesticated fowl?
Causes hole in the head disease in discus fish.
What is the classification of the phylum for non-motile flagellates?
Phylum Caryoblasta.
What is the defining feature of flagella?
Flagellum has a basal body from which microtubules radiate
Which organisms are regarded as the most primitive extant protists?
Mastigamoeba, Pelomyxa
What type of pseudopod is present in Phylum Heterolobosa?
Lobose pseudopod
What is the main characteristic of cells in Phylum Heterolobosa?
Cells with inducible flagellated stage
Fill in the blank: Most Foraminiferea secrete _______.
Calcium carbonate tests
What is the first chamber of Foraminiferea called?
Proloculum
What distinguishes Phylum Actinopoda?
Spherical planktonic cells with microtubular axopods
What is the mineral skeleton composition in most Actinopoda?
Silica or strontium sulfate
Which genus is known for causing primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM)?
Naegleria fowleri
What can improper use of contact lenses lead to in relation to Acanthamoeba culbertsonii?
Cataracts
What distinguishes Entamoeba histolytica from Entamoeba coli?
E. histolytica is pathogenic and has food vacuoles containing hemoglobin
How many nuclei does the mature cyst of Entamoeba coli have?
8 nuclei
In the Apicomplexans, what is the apical structure used for?
Attachment to the host
What are the two main types of Apicomplexans?
Gregarinians and coccidians
What is the role of microgametes in the life cycle of coccidians?
Fertilize macrogametes to form a zygote
What triggers the release of merozoites into the bloodstream in malaria?
The schizont’s release
True or False: Plasmodium sporozoites are introduced into the bloodstream after being bitten by an infected anopheline mosquito.
True
What is the function of the macronucleus in ciliates?
Vegetative function
What process produces 2 daughter ciliates in Paramecium?
Transverse binary fission
In conjugation of Paramecium, how many haploid nuclei are produced?
4 haploid nuclei
Fill in the blank: The subphylum that includes ciliates is _______.
Ciliophora
What is the primary characteristic of the Apicomplexa (Sporozoa)?
Spore formers
Which genus is associated with serious infections in humans among coccidians?
Cryptosporidium sp. and Toxoplasma sp.
What is the role of the epimerite in Gregarina?
Attaches the growing trophozoite to the epithelial cell of the gut
What are the two types of nuclei present in most ciliates?
- Macronucleus * Micronucleus
Which genus is a non-pathogenic parasite of man?
Entamoeba coli
What is the primary habitat of Foraminiferea?
Primarily marine, mostly benthic
What classification system does the document refer to for protistan classification?
Revised classification by Ruppert et al., 2004
Fill in the blank: The life cycle of Plasmodium involves the formation of _______ in the mosquito gut.
Oocyst
