Phylum Genus/species Layman Term Structures Diseases Symptoms Particulars Sarcomastigophora Subphylum: Sarcodina Amoeba spp Amoebas Nucleus, pseudopods None Sarcomastigophora Subphylum: Sarcodina Entamoeba histolytica Amoebas Nucleus, food vacuoles, cyst, trophozoite Amoebiasis Dysentery (diarrhea), abcesses in organs (liver, lungs, brain, eyes), weight loss, fatigue, abdominal pain Red blood cells in amoeba; Bull's eye karyosome Sarcomastigophora Subphylum: Sarcodina Naegleria fowleri Amoebas Primary Amoebic Meningitis Stiff neck, fever, confusion, loss of balance, seizures, and hallucinations Sarcomastigophora Subphylum: Mastigophora Giardia lamblia Flagellates Nuclei, flagella, cyst, trophozoite Giardosis Abdominal pain, diarrhea, gas, headache, fever, vomiting Intestinal parasite; trophozoite looks like a happy face. Sarcomastigophora Subphylum: Mastigophora Trichomonas vaginalis Flagellates Nucleus, Flagella, trophozoite (no cyst) Trichomoniasis Usually asymptomatic in men, or mild itching; In women, vagina is extremely pruritic, with vaginal odor and discharge. Urogenital parasite; STD Sarcomastigophora Subphylum: Mastigophora Trypanosoma brucei Flagellates Flagella, undulating membrane, nucleus, kinetoplast (circular DNA) African Trypanosomiasis (Sleeping sickness) After bite of tsetse fly, get a chancre (ulcer), then enters lymph nodes in head an neck. Shuffling gait, slurred speech, (like stroke symptoms), and malaise (sleeping all day). Blood parasite; vector is tsetse fly; Winterbottom's Sign (swollen cervical lymph nodes in head and neck). Treatment drug breaks down regular plastic tubing. Sarcomastigophora Subphylum: Mastigophora Trypanosoma cruzi Flagellates Flagella, undulating membrane, nucleus, kinetoplast (circular DNA) American Trypanosomiasis (Chaga's Disease) Fever, anorexia, swollen lymph nodes, hepatosplenomegaly, myocarditis (deadly), megacolon, megaesophagus Blood parasite; vector is the Kissing Bug. Fecal to blood route. Ciliata Paramecium spp Ciliates Oral groove, macronucleus, food vacuole, cilia None Ciliata Balantidium coli Ciliates Cytostome, contratile vacuoles, cilia Balantidiosis Ulcers in colon; diarrhea and gas Intestinal parasite; the only ciliated protozoan that causes disease in humans; get it from pigs. Apicomplexia Plasmodium spp Sporozoa Erythrocyte, leukocyte, parasite, Hepatic stage (merozoites) and Blood stage (ring stage trophozoites) Malaria Fever, chills, sweating, headaches, muscle pains. Severe complications (cerebral malaria, anemai, kidney failure) can result in death. Blood and liver parasite; mostly in Africa; vector is mosquito; after a bite, sporozoites (Sporozoite stage) go to liver (hepatic stage; merozoites), ruptures liver cells and enter blood (blood stage; ring stage tryphozoites) Apicomplexia Toxoplasma gondii Sporozoa Toxoplasmosis Mild flulike symptoms in adults (fever, myalgia, sore throat, headache, enlarged lymph nodes) In fetus causes mental retardation, blindness, epilepsy, stillbirths Cats eat wild bird with the organism, pregnant woman cleans litter box, inhales the organism. Apicomplexia Cryptosporidium Sporozoa Cryptosporidiosis Diarrhea in normal person. In immunocompromised, diarrhea is extreme and symptoms may be fatal. Water contaminant