protozoa

Block Two

The portion of the course covering non-bacterial topics, starting with protozoa.

Protozoa

Single-celled eukaryotic organisms that can cause diseases.

Microbiology Module

A course section focused on microorganisms and their roles in disease.

Ciliates

A type of protozoa characterized by hair-like structures called cilia; tends not to cause diseases in humans.

Malaria

A disease caused by protozoa of the genus Plasmodium, transmitted by mosquitoes.

Apicomplexa

A group of protozoan parasites including those that cause malaria and toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasma gondii

A protozoan that can infect humans and is associated with cat feces.

Vector-Borne Disease

Disease spread by vectors such as insects, often involving complex life cycles.

Trypanosoma

A genus of protozoa causing diseases like sleeping sickness and Chagas disease.

Chagas Disease

A disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, transmitted by triatomine bugs.

Leishmania

A genus of protozoa causing leishmaniasis, transmitted by sandflies.

Visceral Leishmaniasis

A severe form of leishmaniasis affecting internal organs, can be fatal if untreated.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

A form of leishmaniasis that causes skin lesions and sores.

Mucocutaneous Leishmaniasis

A severe form of leishmaniasis affecting mucosal tissues.

Giardia

A protozoan pathogen causing gastrointestinal disease, often transmitted through contaminated water.

Ingestion Transmission

A method of spreading diseases where pathogens are consumed along with food or water.

Eukaryotic Cells

Cells that contain a nucleus and organelles, including those of protozoa and human cells.

Antigen

A substance that induces an immune response and can be used to diagnose infections.

Pathogenesis

The process by which a disease develops and progresses.

Blood Transfusion Risk

The potential for transmission of diseases through contaminated blood products.

Dormant Parasites

Parasites that can exist in a dormant stage within a host, potentially causing disease later.

Cyst Form

A dormant, resistant form of a protozoan, typically found in harsh conditions.

Trophozoite Form

The active, growing stage of a protozoan.

Heme

A byproduct of hemoglobin breakdown; can trigger immune responses in malaria.