Parasitology Taxonomy

Three general classifications of parasites (3)

Helminths (worm)

Protozoa (primitive animal)

Arthropods (creepy crawly)

Types of Helminths (3)

Nematodes (Roundworms)

Cestodes (Flatworms)

Trematodes (Leaf-shaped)

Types of Protozoa (6)

Sporozoa

Coccidia

Flagellates

Amoebae

Ciliate

Microsporidia

Types of Arthropods

Arachnids

Insects

Crustaceans

Chilopods

Diplopods

Systems of Helminths (6)

Intestinal

Liver

Tissue

Lung

Blood

Renal

Systems of Protozoa (4)

Intestinal

Central nervous system

Blood/tissue

Urogenital

Systems of Arthropods

Skin/ crawling on you

Phylum Aschelminthes Class

Class Nematoda

Phylum Aschelminthes General Depiction (4)

• Elongate, cylindrical worms, attenuated at ends

• Genders are separate

• Possess stiff cuticle (can form structures at anterior and posterior ends)

• Well-developed digestive tract

Phylum Platyhelminthes Class

Class Cestoda

Phylum Platyhelminthes General Depiction (5)

• Flat, bilateral symmetry

• Hermaphroditic

• Ribbon-like, segmented body

• Anterior scolex (attachment)

• No digestive tract

Phylum Platyhelminthes Class

Class Trematoda

Phylum Platyhelminthes General Depiction (6)

• Flat, bilateral symmetry

• Most are hermaphroditic

• Leaf-shaped or slender

• Suckers, hooks (attachment)

• ≥ 1 mollusk intermediate host

• Simple digestive tract

Phylum Sarcomastigophora subphylems (2)

• Subphylum Mastigophora (flagellates; flagella)

• Subphylum Sarcodina (amoebae; pseudopodia)

Phylum Ciliophora General Depiction

Movement derived from cilia (shorter and numerous)

Phylum Apicomplexa Classes

• Class Coccidia

• Class Sporozoa

Phylum Apicomplexa General Depiction (2)

• Rotate between asexual and sexual reproduction

• Ability to produce “spores” in complex life cycle

Phylum Microspora General Depiction (3)

• Minute intracellular parasites

• Often require immunocompromised host

• Many of these are actually fungi

Phylum Arthropoda General Depiction (5)

• Segmented; bilateral symmetry

• Chitinous covering or exoskeleton

• Paired, jointed appendages

• Well-developed digestive system

• Separate genders

Class Arachnida General Depiction (2)

• Cephalothorax + abdomen + 4 pairs

• Mites, ticks, spiders, scorpions

Class Insecta General Depiction

Head + thorax + abdomen + 3 pairs

Class Insecta Orders (3)

• Order Anoplura (louse)

• Order Hemiptera (bedbug, reduviid)

• Order Diptera (fly, mosquito, others)

Class Crustacea General Depiction (2)

• Aquatic forms

• Can serve as intermediate hosts

Class Diplopoda General Depiction

• Two pairs of legs/body segment

• Millipede

Class Chilopoda General Depiction

One pair legs/body segment

Centipede

Top 10 Parasites World Wide

1. Hookworm

2. Ascaris

3. Trichuris

4. Plasmodium

5. Giardia

6. Enterobius

7. Schistosoma

8. Filarial (lymphatic) worms

9. Amebiasis

10. Cestodes