Eukaryotic Microorganisms: The Parasites

This set of flashcards covers various terms and definitions related to eukaryotic microorganisms, focusing on parasitic activities and characteristics.

protists

microscopic, “junk drawer”, some are unicellular and nutritonally diverse

diatoms

two part silica walls, photosynthesis and important producers in aquatic ecosystems

foraminiferans

snail shaped chalky skeletons

oocytes

resemble fungi, more related to animals

P. Infestans

potato blight

P. ramorum

sudden oak death in California

supergroup excavata

single celled and have flagella

trichonympha

termites guts

giardia

cysts cause damage to intestinal lining, leading to diarrhea.

T. vaginalis

STD

G. intestinalisis

found as cysts in water

amoebas

free- living single cells, move by formation of pseudopods

entamoeba

amoebic dysentery

ciliates

move with cilia, two nuclei, reproduce through conjugation

apicomplexans

no cillia or flagella, intracellular parasites that reproduce via spores.

plasmodium

causes malaria, sexual cycle in definitive host(mosquito), asexual cycle in intermediate host( Human)

toxoplasma

seen in AIDS patients

leishmania

cutaneous or visceral infection, transmitted by sandflies

L. tropica

cutaneous with ulcerative sores

L. donvani

visceral disease, affects white blood cells, spleen and liver

G. intestinalisis

most common parasitic infection in US, fecal- oral transmission, 7-14 days

cryptosporidosis

transmitted through contaminated water, survive through chlorinated water

cyclosporiasis

contaminated fresh produce, cilantro , vomit, diarrhea, nausea

amoebiasis

second leading cause of death, cysts enter body, trophozites cause loose stools,etc. lesions may form

trichomoniasis

sexual contact, caused by T. vaginalis

plasmodium

deadly blood parasite

Babesiosis

malaria like disease, transmitted by ticks, humans are dead end hosts

T. brucei

human african sleeping sickness, transmitted by tsetse flies

Chagas disease

caused by T. cruzi, transmitted by reduvid “kissing bugs”, 10-30 years may cause tissue damage and heart failure

toxoplasmosis

affects half the population, contaminated meat or cats, attack brain tissue causing encephalitis

naegleria

parasites enter body through orifices while in water, 97% die within 4-5 days

Primary amebic meningoencephalitis

inhalation of contaminated water, headache, fever, delirium, neck ridgity

trematodes

complex life cycles, two hosts, evade immune system by having similar surface, certain ones cause swimmers itch

Cestodes

head- scolex, includes tapeworms that lose their ends to spread eggs

roundworms

pinworms, found in every habitat, large worm burdens in vessels or intestines

trichinellosis

lives in pig intestines, caused by eating undercooked pork infected with Trichinella spiralis, leading to gastrointestinal and muscular symptoms.

ascariasis

consuming contaminated food/water, worms mature in intestines, cause blockage and perforation

hookworm disease

set of hooks and suckers to attach to upper intestine, blood loss and anemia, humans are only host

elephantiasis, lymphatic filarisis

caused by W. bancrofti, B. malayi, transmitted by mosquitos, causes legs and scrotum to swell and distort

IgG

gamma globulin, passive immunity to fetus and newborn

IgA

resistance in respiratory and gastrointestinal, in colostrum

IgM

first to appear in circulation after B cells, provides evidence of recent infection

IgE

allergic reactions by sensitizing mast cells and basophils to antigens; cells secret histamineI

IgD

cell surface receptor on B cells, activates them