Protozoa Flashcards
What are the four main types of Protozoa based on locomotion?
Rhizopuds, Flagellates, Ciliates and Sporozoans.
pH conditions?
Neutrophiles
Temperature conditions?
Psychrophiles
Oxygen requirements?
Obligate aerobes (require oxygen)
______troph?
Heterotroph e.g. require organic foodstuffs
_____yote?
Eukaryote e.g. possess membrane-bound nucleus and cellular compartments.
Carbon requirements?
Obtained by consuming organic matter from other organisms and some protozoa have a mouth-like aperture called a cytosome.
Protozoa in soil
Protozoa can be found at the rhizosphere, which is an area near the plant root, and where protozoa will feed on bacteria. Protozoa mineralise nutrients and obtain excess nitrogen and sulphur, etc. which it will release to other organisms.
Protozoa in water
Giardia lamblia, causes giardiasis which presents with nausea and diarrhoea.
How do protozoa reproduce?
Asexually by binary fission, or sexually by conjugation, which is when two different mating types fuse together and exchange nuclei.
Function of the food vacuole?
Carries out endocytosis aka engulfs particles, phagocytosis is the process which engulfs solids and pinocytosis is the process which engulfs liquids.
Function of the contractile vacuole?
Responsible for osmoregulation (hypo/hyper/iso) - a hypotonic solution is most likely to affect protozoa due to the overflow of solute, which causes it to swell up and eventually burst.
Secretory vacuole function?
Responsible for excystation, which is the process by which a dormant cyst reactivates and emerges from its protective form. This usually occurs when environmental conditions become more favourable.
Describe the cellular structure of a protozoa.
Has outer ectoplasmic layer of the cytoplasm under the plasma membrane which provides rigidity, and an inner endoplasmic layer which contains the cell organelles.
The cell membrane and its structures are collectively called the pellicle - it provides structural support and protection and can be further strengthened by depositing protein strips below the membrane.
Name the two types of nuclei and their functions.
Macronuclei - larger and more responsibility, carries out day to day activities.
Micronuclei - smaller and is involved in genetic recombination.
Name the two types of nuclei and their functions.
Macronuclei - larger and more responsibility, carries out day to day activities.
Micronuclei - smaller and is involved in genetic recombination.
Beneficial effects of protozoa?
Protozoa helps enrich soil and enhance plant growth through metabolic excretion of phosphorus in the form of orthophosphate.
Detrimental effects of Protozoa?
Plasmodium malariae - causes malaria from vector bite (mosquito).
