Topic summary
Kinetoplastida
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Kinetoplastid.
Kinetoplastida (or Kinetoplastea, as a class) is a group of flagellatedprotists belonging to the phylumEuglenozoa, and characterised by the presence of a distinctive organelle called the kinetoplast (hence the name), a granule containing a large mass of DNA. The group includes a number of parasites responsible for serious diseases in humans and other animals, as well as various forms found in soil and aquatic environments. The organisms are commonly referred to as "kinetoplastids" or "kinetoplasts".