Infections and Inequalities
Protist Study Guide:
1. Protists were believed to be the first Eukaryotes on Earth. Many scientists believed that they were
formed by the theory of endosymbiosis. Explain endosymbiosis.
ENDOSYMBIOSIS IS THE THEORY OF HOW EUKARYOTIC CELLS FIRST CAME TO EXIST ON
EARTH. THE THEORY EXPLAINS HOW THE EARTH WAS ONCE RULED BY PROKARYOTES WHO NOT
ONLY FED OFF THE INORGANIC MATTER IN EARTH’S EARLY ENVIRONMENT, BUT ALSO FED OFF EACH
OTHER. IT IS BELIEVED THAT DURING ONE OF THESE FEEDINGS, A LARGER PROKARYOTE ENGULFED
A SMALLER PROKARYOTE BUT INSTEAD OF DEVOURING IT, THE SMALLER PROKARYOTE BECAME A
PART OF THE LARGER PROKARYOTE AND BEGAN LIVING INSIDE IT. OVER TIME, THESE LARGER
PROKARYOES EVOLVED AND DEVELOPED INTO THE MANY DIFFERENT EUKARYOTES WE SEE TODAY.
PROTISTS WERE BELIEVED TO BE THER FIRST LIVING EUKARYOTIC CELLS.
2. There are 3 types of protists. Animal-like, fungi-like, and plant-like. During class we focused on the
animal-like protists b/c they cause human infections. What are these animal-like protists called?
PROTOZOA
3. Which characteristic(s) of animal-like protists is incorrect (circle the incorrect answer(s) and write
the correct answer next to the statement(s))
a. Eukaryotes
b. Autotrophic  B/C THEY ARE ANIMAL-LIKE THEY ARE HETEROTROPHIC
c. Uni or multicellular
d. Reproduce sexually or asexually
e. most are immobile/stationary organisms  ALTHOUGH SOME ARE STATIONARY, PROTOZOA
POSSESS A VARIETY OF LOCOMOTION VIA CILIA, FLAGELLA, OR PSEUDOPOD
4. Label the paramecium using the following terms: Cilia/flagella, Ectoderm, Endoderm, Food
vacuole, contractile vacuole
5. Protozoa exhibit a wide variety of locomotion. List and describe the three types of locomotion. Match
the type of locomotion to the corresponding picture.
1) CILIA – HAIR-LIKE PROJECTIONS FROM SURFACE OF CELL
2) FLAGELLA – TAIL-LIKE PROJECTION USUALLY PROTRUDING FROM ONE END OF THE PROTIST
3) PSEUDOPOD - A FALSE FOOT USED FOR MOVEMENT BY WAY OF MUSLCE-LIKE CONTRACTIONS OF
FILAMENTOUS TISSUE
LEFT = CILIA
TOP, RIGHT = PSEUDOPOD
BOTTOM, RIGHT = FLAGELLA
6. Protozoa can acquire nutrition in different ways: holozoic, saprobic, or parasitic. Explain each mode of
nutrition. What are the pros and cons of each?
HOLOZOIC = PROTISTS ENGULFS ENTIRE ORGANISM AS A WHOLE VIA ENDOCYTOSIS
SAPROBIC = PROTIST ABSORBS NUTRIENTS FROM SURROUNDINGS
PARASITIC = PROTIST ACQUIRES NUTRIENTS FROM LIVING HOST, USUALLY HARMFUL TO HOST
7. Compare and contrast the 3 main groups (phyla) of PROTOZOA than affect humans:
Sarcomastigophora
Apicomplexa
Ciliophora
Mode of Reproduction
SEXUAL
SEXUAL AND ASEXUAL
ASEXUAL (BINARY
(VIA SPORES)
FISSION)
Type of Locomotion
FLAGELLA, PSEUDOPOD FLAGELLA OR
CILIA
OR BOTH
PSEUDOPOD
Unique Characteristics
FOUND IN GI TRACT
-CONTAIN STRUCTURE CONJUGATION IS
CALLED APICOPLAST
COMMON
“COLONIAL”
-PARASITE THAT
INFECTS ONLY
HUMANS
What human disease(s) -AMOEBIC DYSENTERY BABESIA
BALANTIDIASIS
does it cause?
-GIARDIASIS
MALARIA
-CHAGAS DISEASE
-AFRICAN SLEEPING
SICKNESS
MALARIA:
1. What is malaria? A PROTOZOAN DISEASE THAT INFECTS RED BLOOD CELLS
2. What is the name of the most common parasite that causes malaria? PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM
3. How is malaria transmitted from person to person (give specific name)? FEMALE ANOPHELES
MOSQUITO
4. Are the following facts true or false regarding malaria?
 Malaria kills 2,200 children everyday in Africa
 Malaria was eradicated in US in 1951
 Only female mosquitos cause malaria
 Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease
 Malaria is caused by a bacteria passed by mosquito bites (FALSE: CAUSED BY PLASMODIUM)
 Malaria is most common in tropical regions
 Every 5 minutes, a child dies of malaria (FALSE…EVERY 30 SEC)
 25% of the worlds population is at risk for developing malaria this year (FALSE: 41% OF WORLD)
 Malaria mortality rates are falling
 Growing resistance to antimalarial medicines has spread rapidly among infection causing parasites.
 Malaria can be prevented by visiting your local doctor and receiving a antimalarial vaccine.
 About 3.3 billion people are at risk for malaria.
5. Using the following image, explain the full lifecycle of the malaria parasite. (Image is just a tool to help
you explain…do not have to list steps 1-8 like in the diagram.)
6. What are some symptoms of malaria?
7. What was the name of the first type of medication given to treat malaria? Is this medication as effective
today as it was in the 1600’s? Why or why not?
QUININE DRIP IS NOT VERY EFFECTIVE TODAY BECAUSE MANY OF THE PLASMODIUM PARASITES
HAVE BECOME RESISTANT TO THE DRUG
8. List and explain ways in which malaria is preventable.
-SLEEPING NET TREATED WITH INSECTICIDE
-TREATING HOME WITH INSECTICIDE
9. The United States was eradicated from malaria 62 years ago! So why is malaria still one of the main
causes of death in other countries? Explain.