| Urospora | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Clade: | Diaphoretickes |
| Clade: | SAR |
| Clade: | Alveolata |
| Phylum: | Apicomplexa |
| Class: | Conoidasida |
| Order: | Eugregarinorida |
| Family: | Urosporidae |
| Genus: | Urospora Schneider, 1895 |
| Synonyms [1] | |
CystobiaMingazzini, 1891 in part PachysomaMingazzini, 1891SyncystisCuénot, 1891 Contents | |
Urospora is a genus of apicomplexan gregarines. [2] [3] [1]
Urospora is a genus of apicomplexans, protists that behave as intracellular parasites. Species of this genus are monocystid gregarines, found in the body cavity or tissues of their hosts: echinoderms, annelids, nemertines and mollusks. They present lateral or frontal syzygies. Their oocysts are heteropolar, with a thin appendage at one end and a transparent conical funnel at the other end. [2] They reproduce through anisogametes, unequal gametes, liberated through the dehiscence of gametocysts by a simple rupture. The oocysts have a well-differentiated wall known as the 'epispore', 8 sporozoites. Each oocyst has an anterior neck and a marked posterior prolongation. [1]
Urospora contains the following species, listed next to their host and the tissue they parasitize: [1]
The Sipuncula or Sipunculida is a class containing about 162 species of unsegmented marine annelid worms. Sipuncula was once considered a phylum, but was demoted to a class of Annelida, based on recent molecular work.
The Echiura, or spoon worms, are a small group of marine animals. Once treated as a separate phylum, they are now considered to belong to Annelida. Annelids typically have their bodies divided into segments, but echiurans have secondarily lost their segmentation. The majority of echiurans live in burrows in soft sediment in shallow water, but some live in rock crevices or under boulders, and there are also deep sea forms. More than 230 species have been described. Spoon worms are cylindrical, soft-bodied animals usually possessing a non-retractable proboscis which can be rolled into a scoop-shape to feed. In some species the proboscis is ribbon-like, longer than the trunk and may have a forked tip. Spoon worms vary in size from less than a centimetre in length to more than a metre.
Sea cucumbers are echinoderms from the class Holothuroidea. They are marine animals with a leathery skin and an elongated body containing a single, branched gonad. They are found on the sea floor worldwide. The number of known holothurian species worldwide is about 1,786, with the greatest number being in the Asia-Pacific region. Many of these are gathered for human consumption and some species are cultivated in aquaculture systems. The harvested product is variously referred to as trepang, namako, bêche-de-mer, or balate. Sea cucumbers serve a useful role in the marine ecosystem as they help recycle nutrients, breaking down detritus and other organic matter, after which bacteria can continue the decomposition process.
Regeneration in biology is the process of renewal, restoration, and tissue growth that makes genomes, cells, organisms, and ecosystems resilient to natural fluctuations or events that cause disturbance or damage. Every species is capable of regeneration, from bacteria to humans. Regeneration can either be complete where the new tissue is the same as the lost tissue, or incomplete after which the necrotic tissue becomes fibrotic.
Marine life, sea life, or ocean life is the plants, animals, and other organisms that live in the salt water of seas or oceans, or the brackish water of coastal estuaries. At a fundamental level, marine life affects the nature of the planet. Marine organisms, mostly microorganisms, produce oxygen and sequester carbon. Marine life, in part, shape and protect shorelines, and some marine organisms even help create new land.
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