The simplest, most primitive type of animal, consisting of a single cell. All protozoa are bigger than bacteria but are still microscopic. About 30 types of protozoa
are human parasites, including those that are responsible for
Endoplasmic malaria, amoebiasis, reticulum giardiasis, sleeping sickness, trichomoniasis, toxoplasmosis, and leishmaniasis.
The lowest division of the animal kingdom, including unicellular or acellular organisms with a eukaryotic structure.
A simple, primitive animal comprising a single cell. Protozoa are microscopic in size but are much larger than BACTERIA. Most protozoa live freely, but around 30 are parasitic in humans causing disease such as amoebiasis (see DYSENTERY) and GIARDIASIS (intestinal infections), MALARIA, kala-azar (see LEISHMANIASIS) and SLEEPING SICKNESS. Some protozoa are able to excrete, respire, and absorb food particles and they may move around like a mobile jelly or by means of ?agellae.
pl. n. a group of microscopic single-celled organisms. Most protozoa are free-living but some are important disease-causing parasites of humans; for example, *Plasmodium, *Leishmania, and *Trypanosoma cause *malaria, *kala-azar, and *sleeping sickness respectively. See also amoeba.
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