MEDICAL
PARASITOLOGY
1
LABORATORY
Roderick D. Balce, RMT
Subphylum Sarcodina: The Amoebae
Fill-in the third column with the distinguishing features and the fourth column with the completely labeled hypothetical drawing of
the parasite in each table.
Entamoeba histolytica cyst
Distinguishing features
Size
10-20 µm in diameter
Nucleus
Young: 1-2; mature: 4
Karyosome
Cytoplasm
Small, compact, central
(bull’s eye)
Cigar- or bar-shaped
chromatoidal bodies
Entamoeba histolytica trophozoite
Size
Nucleus
Pseudopodia
Inclusions
Entamoeba coli cyst
Size
Nucleus
Karyosome
Cytoplasm
Entamoeba coli trophozoite
Size
Nucleus
Pseudopodia
Inclusions
1
Hypothetical drawing
MEDICAL
PARASITOLOGY
LABORATORY
Roderick D. Balce, RMT
Endolimax nana cyst
Distinguishing features
Size
Nucleus
Karyosome
Cytoplasm
Endolimax nana trophozoite
Size
Nucleus
Pseudopodia
Inclusions
Iodamoeba butschlii cyst
Size
Nucleus
Karyosome
Cytoplasm
Iodamoeba butschlii trophozoite
Size
Nucleus
Pseudopodia
Inclusions
Entamoeba gingivalis trophozoite
Size
Nucleus
Pseudopodia
Inclusions
2
Hypothetical drawing
MEDICAL
PARASITOLOGY
LABORATORY
Roderick D. Balce, RMT
Naegleria fowleri cyst
Distinguishing features
Hypothetical drawing
Size
Nucleus
Cyst wall
Cytoplasm
Naegleria fowleri trophozoite (amoeboid)
Size
Nucleus
Pseudopodia
Cytoplasm
Acanthamoeba castellani cyst
Size
Nucleus
Cyst wall
Cytoplasm
Acanthamoeba castellani trophozoite
Size
Nucleus
Pseudopodia
Cytoplasm
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS:
1. Why are cysts more predominant in formed feces and trophozoites more predominant in liquid stool?
____________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
2. What is the primary mechanism by which E. histolytica causes intestinal ulcerations?
____________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
3
MEDICAL
PARASITOLOGY
LABORATORY
Roderick D. Balce, RMT
2
Subphylum Mastigophora: The Flagellates
Fill-in the third column with the distinguishing features and the fourth column with the completely labeled hypothetical drawing of
each of the parasites in the following table.
Giardia lamblia cyst
Distinguishing features
Size
Shape
Nucleus
Cytoplasm
Giardia lamblia trophozoite
Size
Nucleus
Flagella
Other
features
Chilomastix mesnili cyst
Size
Shape
Nucleus
Cytoplasm
Chilomastix mesnili trophozoite
Size
Nucleus
Flagella
Other
features
4
Hypothetical drawing
MEDICAL
PARASITOLOGY
LABORATORY
Roderick D. Balce, RMT
Trichomonas vaginalis
Distinguishing features
Hypothetical drawing
Size
Nucleus
Locomotory
organelles
Axostyle
Dientamoeba fragilis
Size
Nucleus
Karyosome
Cytoplasm
Leishmania spp. amastigotes
Size
Shape
Organelles
Specimens
for analysis
Trypanosoma spp. trypomastigote
Size
Organelles
Undulating
membrane
Specimens
for analysis
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS:
1. What is the utility of String or Entero test? How is it carried out?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
2. Differentiate the epimastigote and trypomastigote stages of the kinetoplastids in terms of:
a. length of undulating membrane: ______________________________________________________
b. position of the kinetoplast:
______________________________________________________
c. posterior end:
______________________________________________________
5
MEDICAL
PARASITOLOGY
LABORATORY
Roderick D. Balce, RMT
3
Phylum Ciliophora: Balantidium coli
Fill-in the third column with the distinguishing features and the fourth column with the completely labeled hypothetical drawing of
each of the parasites in the following table.
Balantidium coli cyst
Distinguishing features
Hypothetical drawing
Size
Macronucleus
Micronucleus
Other features
Balantidium coli trophozoite
Size
Locomotory
organelles
Motility
Other features
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS:
1. Differentiate the appearance of the intestinal ulcers produced by B. coli from that of the ulcers produced by
E. histolytica.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
2. State the function of the following structures:
a. cytostome:
____________________________________________________________
b. cytopyge:
____________________________________________________________
c. macronucleus:
____________________________________________________________
d. contractile vacuoles:
____________________________________________________________
6
MEDICAL
PARASITOLOGY
LABORATORY
4
Roderick D. Balce, RMT
Phylum Apicomplexa: Malarial Parasites
Fill-in the second row with the completely labeled hypothetical drawing of each of the parasites and the succeeding rows with the
needed information.
Young
trophozoites
Plasmodium falciparum
Plasmodium vivax
Plasmodium ovale
Plasmodium malariae
Plasmodium falciparum
Plasmodium vivax
Plasmodium ovale
Plasmodium malariae
Hypothetical
drawing
Appearance
Chromatin
Distinguishing
features
Mature
trophozoites
Hypothetical
drawing
Appearance
Stippling
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS:
1. Why are P. falciparum mature trophozoites and schizonts not commonly observed in the peripheral blood?
_________________________________________________________________________________
7
MEDICAL
PARASITOLOGY
LABORATORY
Roderick D. Balce, RMT
2. State the principle and clinical utility of the ParaSight F Test.
____________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Schizonts
Plasmodium falciparum
Plasmodium vivax
Plasmodium ovale
Plasmodium malariae
P. falciparum
Plasmodium vivax
Plasmodium ovale
Plasmodium malariae
P. falciparum
Plasmodium vivax
Plasmodium ovale
Plasmodium malariae
Hypothetical
drawing
No. of
merozoites
Distinguishing
features
Microgametocytes
Hypothetical
drawing
Shape
Chromatin
Macrogametocytes
Hypothetical
drawing
Shape
Chromatin
8