Dictionary > Protozoology

Protozoology

Definition
noun
A branch of biology that studies protozoa, which are eucharyotes characterized by being single-celled, most of them motile and heterotrophic
Supplement
Protozoology is a branch of biology that deals with protozoa. Protozoa are eukaryotic organisms belonging to a group characterized for being single-celled, most of them motile and heterotrophic. In a five-kingdom scheme of classifying organisms, they belong to a taxonomic group within Kingdom Protista, and typically divided on the basis of their means of locomotion: Flagellates (e.g. Giardia lambdia), Amoeboids (e.g. Entamoeba histolytica), Sporozoans (e.g. Plasmodium knowlesi), and Ciliates (e.g. Balantidium coli). Protozoology studies these organisms with regard to their taxonomy, morphological features, medical importance, etc.
Individuals that specialize in this particular field of biology are called protozoologists. One such notable protozoologist is Stanislaus von Prowazek. He is a Austrian protozoologist and parasitologist known for his work and provisional leadership of the department of protozoan studies (Protozoenkunde) at the Kaiserliches Gesundheitsamt in Berlin. He was the first to show Trypanosoma lewisi going through a special stage in the body of its rat louse host.1
It should be noted however that the use of the term protozoology is now not as popular as before and protistology is preferred to pertain to the scientific study of such organisms, which are also now referred to as protists together with algae and other plant-like eukaryotes.
Word origin: proto (“first”) + zoa (“animals”)
See also:

Reference(s):

1 Stanislaus Josef Mathias von Prowazek, Edler von Lanow. (2006). Retrieved from http://www.whonamedit.com/doctor.cfm/3227.html.


You will also like...

Water Cycle
The Water Cycle

The water cycle (also referred to as the hydrological cycle) is a system of continuous transfer of water from the air, s..

Plant meristem
Plant Meristems and Growth

In plants, growth occurs in meristems, which are the site of repeated cell division of unspecialized cells. These cells ..

mRNA
Protein Synthesis

Part of the genetic information is devoted to the synthesis of proteins. mRNA, a type of RNA, is produced as a transcri..

Oligodendrocyte and Schwann cell
The Central Nervous System

Myelin sheath is essential for a faster conductivity of signals. Know more about this feature of some neurons in the Cen..

Fossil trilobite imprint in the sediment
Insects

There are more species of insects than any other species combined. This surely illustrates that insects have the selecti..

primitive arthropods
Arthropods

The arthropods were assumed to be the first taxon of species to possess jointed limbs and exoskeleton, exhibit more adva..

Related Articles...

No related articles found

See all Related Topics