Mycology, Parasitology & Helminthology Lecture

Vocabulary flashcards covering major fungi, protozoa, helminths, vectors, drugs, and key terms presented in the lecture notes.

Saprophyte

Fungus that feeds on dead or decaying matter, recycling nutrients into soil.

Dimorphic fungus

Fungus capable of existing as a filamentous mold in the environment and as a unicellular yeast in human tissue.

Hypha

Long, tubular fungal filament that makes up the body of a mold.

Mycelium

Mass of intertwining hyphae that forms the visible ‘mold’ colony.

Septate hyphae

Hyphae that possess cross-walls (septa) dividing them into compartments.

Sporangiospore

Asexual fungal spore released when a sac-like sporangium ruptures.

Conidiospore

Asexual spore that pinches off from a conidiophore without a sporangium.

Mycosis

Any fungal infection in or on the body.

Histoplasma capsulatum

Dimorphic fungus in bird/bat guano-rich soil that causes histoplasmosis.

Coccidioidomycosis

“Valley Fever” respiratory disease caused by Coccidioides species in arid U.S. Southwest.

Paracoccidioidomycosis

South American systemic mycosis spreading from lungs to skin lesions.

Blastomyces dermatitidis

Dimorphic fungus of U.S. Southeast/North that produces granulomatous skin disease.

Rhizopus

Common bread mold that can cause deadly mucormycosis in the immunocompromised.

Mucormycosis

Angio-invasive infection by Mucor/Rhizopus molds, producing black necrosis and high fatality; COVID-19

Sporotrichosis

“Rose Gardener’s Disease” from Sporothrix schenckii; nodular lesions follow thorn puncture.

Phaeohyphomycosis

Cutaneous or systemic infection by darkly pigmented (dematiaceous) fungi.

Mycetoma

Chronic subcutaneous tumor-like infection of foot/hand nicknamed “Madura foot.”

Dermatophyte

Keratin-eating fungus of skin, hair, nails—genera Microsporum, Trichophyton, Epidermophyton.

Ringworm

Circular, scaly dermatophyte rash that resembles a worm under skin.

Griseofulvin

Oral antifungal drug that concentrates in keratin to treat dermatophytoses.

Tinea pedis

Athlete’s foot; most common fungal skin infection.

Tinea capitis

Scalp ringworm causing scaly dandruff patches.

Tinea cruris

Jock itch; dermatophyte infection of groin.

Tinea corporis

Ringworm of the body trunk or limbs.

Tinea unguium

Dermatophyte infection of nails (onychomycosis).

Malassezia

Lipophilic yeast that causes chronic, oily scaling (tinea versicolor).

Candida albicans

Normal-flora yeast that overgrows to cause thrush and vaginal candidiasis.

Candida auris

Emerging multidrug-resistant yeast causing invasive ICU outbreaks.

Thrush

White, patchy oral candidiasis common in newborns and AIDS patients.

Onychomycosis

Fungal infection of the nails, often due to Candida or dermatophytes.

Nystatin

Topical/oral polyene antifungal that treats Candida infections.

Amphotericin B

Systemic polyene drug binding ergosterol; “gold-standard” for severe mycoses.

Azole antifungals

Drug class (e.g., fluconazole, voriconazole) that inhibits ergosterol synthesis.

Echinocandins

Antifungal class that blocks β-glucan synthesis of fungal cell walls.

Opportunistic mycosis

Fungal disease occurring mainly in immunocompromised hosts.

Cryptococcus neoformans

Encapsulated yeast from bird droppings; leading cause of fungal meningitis in AIDS.

Aspergillus fumigatus

Ubiquitous mold whose airborne spores cause pulmonary aspergillosis.

Lomentospora

Drug-resistant soil mold responsible for non-Aspergillus invasive infections.

Voriconazole

Second-generation azole used to treat Aspergillus and Candida infections.

Protozoa

Unicellular, non-photosynthetic, motile eukaryotes in Kingdom Protista.

Trophozoite

Active, feeding, motile stage of a protozoan life cycle.

Protozoan cyst

Dormant, resistant stage enabling survival outside the host.

Encystment

Process by which a protozoan forms a protective cyst wall.

Sarcodina

Protozoan group of amoebas that move via pseudopodia.

Entamoeba histolytica

Amoeba causing amoebic dysentery via fecal-oral cyst ingestion.

Amoebic dysentery

Bloody diarrhea, weight loss, and possible liver abscess due to E. histolytica.

Naegleria fowleri

Free-living amoeba that produces fatal primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).

Acanthamoeba keratitis

Corneal infection in contact-lens wearers by Acanthamoeba species.

Balantidium coli

Only pathogenic ciliate; pig-to-human zoonosis causing dysentery.

Trichomonas vaginalis

Flagellate STD with frothy yellow-green discharge; no cyst form.

Trichomonas tenax

Oral flagellate opportunist associated with poor dental hygiene.

Giardia lamblia

Flagellate causing foul, fatty diarrhea from cysts in mountain water.

Hemoflagellate

Blood-borne flagellate protozoan such as Trypanosoma or Leishmania.

Trypanosoma brucei

African sleeping sickness agent transmitted by tsetse fly bite.

Winterbottom’s sign

Swollen posterior cervical lymph nodes in African trypanosomiasis.

Trypanosoma cruzi

Chagas disease parasite spread by reduviid ‘kissing’ bug.

Chagas disease

Cardiac and gastrointestinal pathology from chronic T. cruzi infection.

Reduviid bug

Night-biting vector that defecates T. cruzi onto human skin.

Leishmania

Sand-fly-transmitted parasite causing cutaneous, mucocutaneous, or visceral leishmaniasis.

Kala-azar

Visceral leishmaniasis with fever, weight loss, and high mortality.

Plasmodium falciparum

Most lethal malaria species infecting human RBCs.

Malaria

Mosquito-borne febrile disease marked by cyclic chills and anemia.

Schizogony

Asexual multiple fission of Plasmodium inside hepatocytes.

Merozoite

Daughter cell of Plasmodium that infects red blood cells.

Sporozoite

Infective stage injected by Anopheles mosquito during blood meal.

Artemisinin

Antimalarial drug from sweet wormwood; backbone of ACT therapy.

Mosquirix (RTS,S)

First licensed malaria vaccine; ~30 % efficacy, four-dose regimen.

Toxoplasma gondii

Intracellular protozoan from cat feces or undercooked meat; teratogen.

Cryptosporidium

Water-borne protozoan causing profuse watery diarrhea; chlorine-resistant.

Cyclospora cayetanensis

Tropical protozoan spread by produce irrigation water; prolonged diarrhea.

Babesia

Tick-borne protozoan that invades RBCs, mimicking malaria.

Ixodes tick

Vector for Babesia as well as Lyme disease.

Pneumocystis jirovecii

Opportunistic fungus/protozoan-like agent causing PCP pneumonia in AIDS.

PCP (Pneumocystis pneumonia)

Life-threatening atypical pneumonia with “honeycomb” alveoli in immunocompromised.

Quinine

Historic antimalarial alkaloid from Cinchona tree bark.

Metronidazole

Drug of choice for amoebiasis, giardiasis, and trichomoniasis.

Sulfonamides

Antifolate drugs active against some protozoan infections.

Platyhelminth

Flatworm; includes trematodes and cestodes.

Trematode

Leaf-shaped fluke worm; many require snail intermediate host.

Cestode

Ribbon-like tapeworm made of proglottids; hermaphroditic.

Nematode

Roundworm with separate sexes; may be intestinal or tissue dwelling.

Ascaris lumbricoides

Large intestinal nematode with lung-to-gut migration; eggs in feces.

Trichuris trichiura

Whipworm whose eggs can cause appendicitis-like symptoms.

Enterobius vermicularis

Pinworm; nocturnal anal egg-laying causes perianal itch.

Necator americanus

Hookworm penetrating feet; causes iron-deficiency anemia.

Strongyloides stercoralis

Threadworm capable of complete autoinfection cycle in humans.

Trichinella spiralis

Pork worm; encysts in human muscle causing myalgia.

Anisakis

Marine nematode from raw fish provoking gastric/airway symptoms.

Thalazia californiensis

Eye worm transmitted by manure-feeding flies in California.

Wuchereria bancrofti

Filarial nematode blocking lymphatics, leading to elephantiasis.

Elephantiasis

Massive lymphedema of limbs/genitals due to Wuchereria infection.

Onchocerca volvulus

River-blindness worm transmitted by black fly; causes corneal opacities.

River blindness

Progressive eye disease from Onchocerca plus Wolbachia bacteria.

Loa loa

African eye worm migrating across conjunctiva; spread by deer fly.

Dracunculus medinensis

Guinea worm removed by winding on a stick; water-borne Cyclops vector.

Schistosoma mansoni

Blood fluke whose cercariae penetrate skin, causing swimmer’s itch and later liver disease.

Swimmer’s itch

Dermatitis at site of cercarial penetration by schistosomes.

Snail intermediate host

Essential link in trematode life cycles releasing cercaria larvae.

Opisthorchis sinensis

Chinese liver fluke acquired by eating raw fish or crabs.

Fasciola hepatica

Sheep liver fluke; humans infected from watercress.