Trichomonadida is an order of anaerobic

protist A protist ( ) or protoctist is any eukaryotic organism that is not an animal, land plant, or fungus. Protists do not form a natural group, or clade, but are a paraphyletic grouping of all descendants of the last eukaryotic common ancest ...

s, included with the

parabasalid The parabasalids are a group of flagellated protists within the supergroup Excavata. Most of these eukaryotic organisms form a symbiosis, symbiotic relationship in animals. These include a variety of forms found in the intestines of termites and ...

s. Members of this order are referred to as trichomonads. Some organisms in this order include: *''

Trichomonas vaginalis ''Trichomonas vaginalis'' is an Anaerobic organism, anaerobic, flagellated protozoan parasite and the causative agent of a Sexually transmitted infection, sexually transmitted disease called trichomoniasis. It is the most common pathogenic protoz ...

'', an organism living inside the vagina of humans *'' Dientamoeba fragilis'', parasitic ameboid in humans *''

Histomonas meleagridis ''Histomonas meleagridis'' is a species of parasite, parasitic protozoan that infects a wide range of birds including chickens, turkey (bird), turkeys, peafowl, quail and pheasants, causing infectious enterohepatitis, or histomoniasis (blackhead ...

'', parasite that causes blackhead disease in poultry *'' Mixotricha paradoxa'', a symbiotic organism inside termites, host of

endosymbionts An endosymbiont or endobiont is an organism that lives within the body or cells of another organism. Typically the two organisms are in a mutualistic relationship. Examples are nitrogen-fixing bacteria (called rhizobia), which live in the root ...

Anatomy

Species in this order typically have four to six

flagella A flagellum (; : flagella) (Latin for 'whip' or 'scourge') is a hair-like appendage that protrudes from certain plant and animal sperm cells, from fungal spores ( zoospores), and from a wide range of microorganisms to provide motility. Many pr ...

at the cell's apical pole, one of which is recurrent - that is, it runs along a surface wave, giving the aspect of an undulating membrane. Like other parabasalids, they typically have an axostyle, a pelta, a costa, and parabasal bodies. In '' Histomonas'' only one flagellum and a reduced axostyle are found, and in '' Dientamoeba'', both are absent.

Behavior

Most species are either

parasite Parasitism is a Symbiosis, close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the Host (biology), host, causing it some harm, and is Adaptation, adapted str ...

s or other

endosymbiont An endosymbiont or endobiont is an organism that lives within the body or cells of another organism. Typically the two organisms are in a mutualism (biology), mutualistic relationship. Examples are nitrogen-fixing bacteria (called rhizobia), whi ...

s of animals. Trichomonads reproduce by a special form of longitudinal fission, leading to large numbers of

trophozoite A trophozoite (G. ''trope'', nourishment + ''zoon'', animal) is the activated, feeding stage in the life cycle of certain protozoa such as malaria-causing ''Plasmodium falciparum'' and those of the ''Giardia'' group. The complementary form of the t ...

s in a relatively short time.

Cysts A cyst is a closed Wikt:sac, sac, having a distinct Cell envelope, envelope and cell division, division compared with the nearby Biological tissue, tissue. Hence, it is a cluster of Cell (biology), cells that have grouped together to form a sac ...

never form, so transmission from one host to another is always based on direct contact between the sites they occupy.

Treatment

The preferred treatment for trichomonad infection is

metronidazole Metronidazole, sold under the brand name Flagyl and Metrogyl among others, is an antibiotic and antiprotozoal medication. It is used either alone or with other antibiotics to treat pelvic inflammatory disease, endocarditis, and bacterial vagino ...

References

External links

General info
{{Authority control Metamonads Metamonad orders