MCB211 Structure, General Characteristics and Reproduction of Protozoa and Rickettsia

General Characteristics of Protozoa
Protozoa are single celled organisms. They come in many different shapes and sizes
ranging from an Amoeba which can change its shape to Paramecium with its fixed
shape and complex structure. They live in a wide variety of moist habitats including
fresh water, marine environments and the soil.
Amoeba proteus protozoa
Some are parasitic, which means they live in other plants and animals including humans, where they
cause disease. Plasmodium, for example, causes malaria. They are motile and can move by:
 Cilia - tiny hair like structures that cover the outside of the microbe. They beat in a regular
continuous pattern like flexible oars.
 Flagella - long thread-like structures that extend from the cell surface. The flagella move in a whip-
like motion that produces waves that propel the microbe around.
 Amoeboid movement - the organism moves by sending out pseudopodia, temporary protrusions
that fill with cytoplasm that flows from the body of the cell.
1
Protozoa are eukaryotic microorganisms. Although they are often studied in zoology
courses, they are considered part of the microbial world because they are unicellular and
microscopic.
Protozoa are notable for their ability to move independently, a characteristic found in the
majority of species. They usually lack the capability for photosynthesis, although the
genus Euglena is renowned for motility as well as photosynthesis (and is therefore
considered both an alga and a protozoan). Although most protozoa reproduce by asexual
methods, sexual reproduction has been observed in several species. Most protozoal species
are aerobic, but some anaerobic species have been found in the human intestine and animal
rumen.
Protozoa are located in most moist habitats. Free-living species inhabit freshwater and
marine environments, and terrestrial species inhabit decaying organic matter. Some species
are parasites of plants and animals.
Protozoa play an important role as zooplankton, the free-floating aquatic organisms of the
oceans. Here, they are found at the bases of many food chains, and they participate in
many food webs.
Size and shape. Protozoa vary substantially in size and shape. Smaller species may be the
size of fungal cells; larger species may be visible to the unaided eye. Protozoal cells have no
cell walls and therefore can assume an infinite variety of shapes. Some genera have cells
surrounded by hard shells, while the cells of other genera are enclosed only in a cell
membrane.
Many protozoa alternate between a free-living vegetative form known as atrophozoite and
a resting form called a cyst. The protozoal cyst is somewhat analogous to the bacterial
spore, since it resists harsh conditions in the environment. Many protozoal parasites are
taken into the body in the cyst form.
Most protozoa have a single nucleus, but some have both a macronucleus and one or more
micronuclei. Contractile vacuoles may be present in protozoa to remove excess water, and
food vacuoles are often observed.
Nutrition and locomotion. Protozoa are heterotrophic microorganisms, and most

species obtain large food particles by phagocytosis. The food particle is ingested into a
food vacuole. Lysosomal enzymes then digest the nutrients in the particle, and the products
of digestion are distributed throughout the cell. Some species have specialized structures
called cytostomes, through which particles pass in phagocytosis.
Many protozoal species move independently by one of three types of locomotor organelles:
flagella, cilia, and pseudopodia. Flagella and cilia are structurally similar, having a “9-plus-
2
2” system of microtubules, the same type of structure found in the tail of animal sperm cells
and certain cells of unicellular algae. How a protozoan moves is an important consideration
in assigning it to a group.
Classification of Protozoa
All protozoal species are assigned to the kingdom Protista in the Whittaker classification.
The protozoa are then placed into various groups primarily on the basis of how they move.
The groups are called phyla (singular, phylum) by some microbiologists, and classes by
others. Members of the four major groups are illustrated in Figure 1 .
Figure 1
An array of protozoa showing representatives of the four major groups.

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General Characteristics of Protozoa

Amoeba proteus protozoa

Nutrition and locomotion. Protozoa are heterotrophic microorganisms, and most

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