In: Anatomy and Physiology
Comparing with medical helminth, what are the distinguished features of medical protozoa and related diseases?
Helminths | Protozoa |
Multicellular metazoa | Unicellular eukaryotic microorganisms belonging to kingdom Protista |
Non motile worms | Motile |
Adult are seen by naked eye | |
They are bilaterally symmetrical. | Has cell membrane, cytoplasm is made up of ectoplasm and endoplasm and nucleus is present. |
Unlike other pathogens, helminths do not proliferate within their hosts. | Reproduction can be asexual (e.g. binary fission, schizogony, endodyogeny) or sexual (e.g. gametogony). |
Helminths are classified into 2 phyla: Platyhelminthes and Nemathelminthes. Trematodes (flukes) and cestodes (tapeworms) belong to phylum Platyhelminthes and nematodes (roundworms) belong to phylum Nemathelminthes. | Protozoa can be grouped into Amoebae, Flagellates, Apicomplexa, Ciliate and Microsporidia. |
Similarities include that they both are parasitic that absorb nutrients and undergo shape change. Many human helminths reside in gastrointestinal tract. and very few like schistosomes reside in blood vessels.
Disease caused by helminths are lymphatic filariasis, dracunculiasis and onchocerciasis caused by roundworm. Trematode are responsible for schistosomiasis and few food-borne trematodiases. Tapeworm infections are known for cysticercosis, taeniasis, and echinococcosis.
Protozoa is responsible for most protist diseases. Examples are: Chagas disease and sleeping sickness caused by Trypanosoma; giardiasis caused by Giardia; Malaria caused by Plasmodium.