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Gregarina
The gregarines are a group of Apicomplexan alveolates, classified as the Gregarinasina or Gregarinia. The large (roughly half a millimeter) parasites inhabit the intestines of many invertebrates. They are not found in any vertebrates. However, gregarines are closely related to both ''Toxoplasma'' and ''Plasmodium'', which cause toxoplasmosis and malaria, respectively. Both protists use protein complexes similar to those that are formed by the gregarines for gliding motility and invading target cells. This makes them excellent models for studying gliding motility with the goal of developing treatment options for toxoplasmosis and malaria. Thousands of different species of gregarines are expected to be found in insects, and 99% of these gregarines still need to be described. Each insect can be the host of multiple species. One of the most studied gregarines is ''Gregarina garnhami''. In general, gregarines are regarded as very successful parasites, as their hosts are spread over the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gregarina Garnhami
''Gregarina garnhami'' is a eukaryotic unicellular organism belonging to the Apicomplexa described in 1956 by Canning as a parasite found in several locusts, such as the desert locust, African migratory locust, and Egyptian locust. Especially, the desert locust is the host for this species, as up to 100% of animals can become infected. An estimated thousands of different species of gregarines can be in insects and 99% of these gregarines still need to be described. Each insect is said to host multiple species. A remarkable feature of ''G. garnhami'' is its autofluorescence. Taxonomy ''Gregarina garnhami'' was considered by Lipa et al. in 1996 to be synonymous with ''Gregarina acridiorum'' (Léger, 1893), a parasite of several orthopteran species including ''Locusta migratoria''. Indeed, ''G. acridiorum'' and ''G. garnhami'' share common morphological and behavioral characteristics, such as their development in the midgut of their hosts, a small globular epimerite, stout bodie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Apicomplexa
The Apicomplexa (also called Apicomplexia) are a large phylum of parasitic alveolates. Most of them possess a unique form of organelle that comprises a type of non-photosynthetic plastid called an apicoplast, and an apical complex structure. The organelle is an adaptation that the apicomplexan applies in penetration of a host cell. The Apicomplexa are unicellular and spore-forming. All species are obligate endoparasites of animals, except '' Nephromyces'', a symbiont in marine animals, originally classified as a chytrid fungus. Motile structures such as flagella or pseudopods are present only in certain gamete stages. The Apicomplexa are a diverse group that includes organisms such as the coccidia, gregarines, piroplasms, haemogregarines, and plasmodia. Diseases caused by Apicomplexa include: * Babesiosis (''Babesia'') * Malaria (''Plasmodium'') * Cryptosporidiosis (''Cryptosporidium parvum'') * Cyclosporiasis (''Cyclospora cayetanensis'') * Cystoisosporiasis (''Cystoisosp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eugregarinorida
The ''Eugregarinorida'' are the most large and diverse order of gregarines — parasitic protists belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa. Eugregarines are found in marine, freshwater and terrestrial habitats. These species possess large trophozoites that are significantly different in morphology and behavior from the sporozoites. This taxon contains most of the known gregarine species. These protozoa are common parasites of many invertebrates including insects and polychete worms. Taxonomy Eugregarinorida has three recognised suborders: Aseptatorina, Blastogregarinorina and Septatorina. The intestinal eugregarines are separated into septate — suborder Septatina — and aseptate — suborder Aseptatina — depending on whether the trophozoite is superficially divided by a transverse septum. The marine gregarines are the most poorly studied members of this order. The eugregarines have been classified into 27 families with ~244 genera, 14 of which have more than 25 species each. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monocystis
''Monocystis (Gr., monos, ''single'' + kystisis, ''bladder'')'' is a genus (the type of the family Monocystidae) of acephaline gregarines (subclass Gregarinasina) not having the protoplasm divided into segments by septa and including internal parasites of invertebrates (as ''M. agilis'' of the reproductive system of earthworms). Habit and habitat Monocystis lives as an intracellular parasite in its young stage when it lives in the bundle of developing sperms and becomes extracellular in its mature stage when it lives in the contents of seminal vesicles of earthworms. Its infection is so wide that practically all mature earthworms are found parasitized by this parasite. Structure The adult mature of ''Monocystis'' is called trophozoite which is a feeding stage. The young trophozoite lives in the sperm morula (sperm morula is a group of developing sperms) of the host; it feeds and grows at the expense of the protoplasm of the developing sperms until all the protoplasm is exhausted ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neogregarinorida
The Neogregarinorida are an order of parasitic alveolates in the phylum Apicomplexa. Species in this order infect insects and are usually found in the fat body, hemolymph, hypodermis, intestine or Malpighian tubules. The most common site of infection is the fat body: many species are pathogenic for their hosts. The species in this order are predominantly intracellular parasites. Taxonomy Six families are in this order, with 13 genera. The type genus is '' Ophryocystis''. Two families (Ophryocystidae and Schizocystidae) belong to the suborder Schizogregarinina. They appear to have evolved from the Eugregarinorida. Merogony as part of the life cycle separates them from the Eugregarinorida and appears to have been derived as a secondary characteristic. A phylogenetic analysis of the small subunit RNA suggests ''Ophryocystis'' may actually be a eugregarine rather than a neogregarine. General characteristics * Merogony, gamogony and sporogony are present in all species * They ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Protozoal Merogony
Apicomplexans, a group of intracellular parasites, have life cycle stages that allow them to survive the wide variety of environments they are exposed to during their complex life cycle. Each stage in the life cycle of an apicomplexan organism is typified by a ''cellular variety'' with a distinct morphology and biochemistry. Not all apicomplexa develop all the following cellular varieties and division methods. This presentation is intended as an outline of a hypothetical generalised apicomplexan organism. Methods of asexual replication Apicomplexans (sporozoans) replicate via ways of multiple fission (also known as schizogony). These ways include , and , although the latter is sometimes referred to as schizogony, despite its general meaning. Merogony is an asexually reproductive process of apicomplexa. After infecting a host cell, a trophozoite ( see glossary below) increases in size while repeatedly replicating its nucleus and other organelles. During this process, the orga ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oocyst
Apicomplexans, a group of intracellular parasites, have life cycle stages that allow them to survive the wide variety of environments they are exposed to during their complex life cycle. Each stage in the life cycle of an apicomplexan organism is typified by a ''cellular variety'' with a distinct morphology and biochemistry. Not all apicomplexa develop all the following cellular varieties and division methods. This presentation is intended as an outline of a hypothetical generalised apicomplexan organism. Methods of asexual replication Apicomplexans (sporozoans) replicate via ways of multiple fission (also known as schizogony). These ways include , and , although the latter is sometimes referred to as schizogony, despite its general meaning. Merogony is an asexually reproductive process of apicomplexa. After infecting a host cell, a trophozoite ( see glossary below) increases in size while repeatedly replicating its nucleus and other organelles. During this process, the or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trophozoite
A trophozoite (G. ''trope'', nourishment + ''zoon'', animal) is the activated, feeding stage in the life cycle of certain protozoa such as malaria-causing ''Plasmodium falciparum'' and those of the '' Giardia'' group. (The complement of the trophozoite state is the thick-walled cyst form). Life cycle stages Trophozoite and cyst stages are shown in the life cycle of '' Balantidium coli'' the causative agent of balantidiasis. In the apicomplexan life cycle the trophozoite undergoes schizogony (asexual reproduction) and develops into a schizont which contains merozoites Apicomplexans, a group of intracellular parasites, have life cycle stages that allow them to survive the wide variety of environments they are exposed to during their complex life cycle. Each stage in the life cycle of an apicomplexan organism is .... The trophozoite life stage of '' Giardia'' colonizes and proliferates in the small intestine. Trophozoites develop during the course of the infection into cysts whic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Schizogony
Fission, in biology, is the division of a single entity into two or more parts and the regeneration of those parts to separate entities resembling the original. The object experiencing fission is usually a cell, but the term may also refer to how organisms, bodies, populations, or species split into discrete parts. The fission may be ''binary fission'', in which a single organism produces two parts, or ''multiple fission'', in which a single entity produces multiple parts. Binary fission Organisms in the domains of Archaea and Bacteria reproduce with binary fission. This form of asexual reproduction and cell division is also used by some organelles within eukaryotic organisms (e.g., mitochondria). Binary fission results in the reproduction of a living prokaryotic cell (or organelle) by dividing the cell into two parts, each with the potential to grow to the size of the original. Fission of prokaryotes The single DNA molecule first replicates, then attaches each copy to a differ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meiosis
Meiosis (; , since it is a reductional division) is a special type of cell division of germ cells in sexually-reproducing organisms that produces the gametes, such as sperm or egg cells. It involves two rounds of division that ultimately result in four cells with only one copy of each chromosome ( haploid). Additionally, prior to the division, genetic material from the paternal and maternal copies of each chromosome is crossed over, creating new combinations of code on each chromosome. Later on, during fertilisation, the haploid cells produced by meiosis from a male and female will fuse to create a cell with two copies of each chromosome again, the zygote. Errors in meiosis resulting in aneuploidy (an abnormal number of chromosomes) are the leading known cause of miscarriage and the most frequent genetic cause of developmental disabilities. In meiosis, DNA replication is followed by two rounds of cell division to produce four daughter cells, each with half the number of chr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
