Opalina ranarum

Opalina ranarum
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Clade:	Diaphoretickes
Clade:	Sar
Clade:	Stramenopiles
Phylum:	Bigyra
Class:	Opalinea
Order:	Opalinida
Family:	Opalinidae
Genus:	Opalina
Species:	O. ranarum
Binomial name
Opalina ranarum Dujardin, 1841

Opalina ranarum is a species of protozoan belonging to the family Opalinidae, commonly found in the intestines of amphibians such as frogs.^{[ citation needed ]}

Morphology

Opalina ranarum is a flattened, leaf-like, oval-shaped organism with numerous flagella evenly distributed across its surface. ^[1] These short flagella, called kinetes, are arranged in parallel rows, enabling the organism to move. The anterior end of O. ranarum features a falx, a cluster of sickle-shaped kinetosomes that serve as the reference point for defining its ventral, dorsal, and lateral regions. ^[2] In contrast to many other protozoans, O. ranarum lacks a mouth, contractile vacuole, and separate macro and micro nuclei. Instead, it possesses a binucleated or multinucleated forms. It exhibits metachronous movement, starting from the anterior end and following a left-handed spiral path. ^[1]

Taxonomy

Opalina ranarum shares similar features with flagellates, more specifically the species Karotomorpha bufonis, as O. ranarum contains kinetosomes, mitochondria, nuclear division, and surface folds with microtubules. ^[3] Thus, Opalinidae should be classified with Protermondidae as this group contains transitional helix within the flagellum. This feature is identified in heterokont flagellates. From that information, Opalina ranarum is classified as a heterokont protist and belongs to the kingdom Chromista, phylum Bigyra, class Opalinae, order Slopalinida, family opalinidae, and genus Opalina. ^[3] In the encycolpedia of life, O. ranarum is further classified with some attributions. One attribution is that this species is defined as the endoparasite of the common toad (Bufo bufo). ^[4] This species is also a pathogen of the grass carp (Cenopharyngodon idella). ^[4]

Life cycle

The life cycle of Opalina ranarum consists of both asexual and sexual reproduction stages. During the asexual stage, the organism divides by binary fission, while in the sexual phase, it produces cysts that are excreted in the frog's feces. ^{[5] [6]}

References

1. "Opalinids". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
2. Schmidt, Gerald D. (2013). Foundations of Parasitology (Ninth ed.). McGrawHill. ISBN   978-0-07-352419-1.
3. Patterson, D.J. (1986-11-24). "The fine structure of Opalina ranarum (Family Opalinidae): opalinid phylogeny and classification".
4. "Opalina ranarum - Encyclopedia of Life". eol.org. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
5. Mehlhorn, Heinz (2016), Mehlhorn, Heinz (ed.), "Opalinata" , Encyclopedia of Parasitology, Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 1–3, doi:10.1007/978-3-642-27769-6_2221-2, ISBN   978-3-642-27769-6 , retrieved 2025-03-19
6. Mehlhorn, Heinz (2016), "Opalinata", Encyclopedia of Parasitology, Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, pp. 1–3, doi:10.1007/978-3-642-27769-6_2221-2/figures/1, ISBN   978-3-642-27769-6 , retrieved 2025-03-26