Zooflagellate

In some older systems of classification, Zoomastigophora is a phylum (more commonly known as zooflagellates) within the kingdom Protista. Organisms within this group have a spherical, elongated body with a single central nucleus. They are single-celled, heterotrophic eukaryotes and may form symbiotic relationships with other organisms, including Trichomonas. ^[1] Some species are parasitic, causing diseases such as the African Sleeping Sickness, caused by the zooflagellate Trypanosoma brucei . ^[2] and leishmaniasis, caused by both leishmania chagasi and leishmania braziliensis. Zooflagellates have one or more flagella but do not have plastids or cell walls. ^[3]

A few are mutualistic, such as those that live in the guts of termites and aid the bacteria present in breaking down wood.^{[ citation needed ]}

References

1. Zoomastigophora at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
2. "Definition: zooflagellate from "A Dictionary of Zoology"".
3. Cavalier-Smith, T (1995). "Zooflagellate phylogeny and classification". Tsitologiia. 37 (11): 1010–29. PMID   8868448.