The kinetoplastids are a group of flagellate protozoa, including a number of parasites responsible for serious diseases in humans and other animals, as well as various forms found in soil and aquatic environments. They are included in the Euglenozoa, and are distinguished from other such forms mainly by the presence of a kinetoplast, a DNA-containing granule located within the single mitochondrion and associated with the flagellar bases. Parasitic excavate (Giardia lamblia) Green alga (Chlamydomonas) Flagellates are cells with one or more whip-like organelles called flagella. ... Protozoa (in Greek protos = first and zoon = animal) are single-celled creatures with nuclei that show some characteristics usually associated with animals, most notably mobility and heterotrophy. ... A parasite is an organism that lives in or on the living tissue of a host organism at the expense of that host. ... Classes Euglenoidea Kinetoplastea Diplonemea Postgaardea The Euglenozoa are a large group of flagellate protozoa, dominated by the euglenids and kinetoplastids. ... Space-filling model of a section of DNA molecule Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions specifying the biological development of all cellular forms of life (and many viruses). ... Mitochondria are visible as thread-like structures in the light microscope. ...

Most forms have a leading and trailing flagellum, the latter of which may or may not be attached to the side of the cell and is often used to glide along or attach to surfaces. The cytostome is often bordered by a ridge or rostrum. Bodo is a typical genus, including various common free-living species which feed on bacteria. Others include Cryptobia and Trypanoplasma. There is also one family of kinetoplastids, the trypanosomes, which only have a single emergent flagellum, including several genera which are exclusively parasitic. A cytostome or cell mouth is a part of a cell specialized for phagocytosis, usually in the form of a microtubule-supported funnel or groove. ... Phyla/Divisions Actinobacteria Aquificae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chlamydiae/Verrucomicrobia Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Nitrospirae Omnibacteria Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Bacteria (singular, bacterium) are a major group of living organisms. ... Genera Blastocrithidia Crithidia Endotrypanum Herpetomonas Leishmania Leptomonas Phytomonas Trypanosoma Wallaceina The Trypanosomatidae are a group of kinetoplastid protozoa, which are exclusively parasitic. ...

Trypanosomes have reduced or absent cytostomes, feeding entirely through absorption, and smaller kinetoplasts than other forms. They typically have complex life-cycles involving more than one host, and go through various morphological stages. The most distinctive of these is the trypanosome stage, where the flagellum runs along the length of the cell and is connected to it by an undulating membrane. Diseases caused by trypanosomes include sleeping sickness, malaria and Chagas disease, from species of Trypanosoma, and leishmaniasis, from species of Leishmania. Sleeping sickness or African trypanosomiasis is a parasitic disease in humans. ... Red blood cell infected with Malaria (Italian: bad air; formerly called ague or marsh fever in English) is an infectious disease which in humans causes about 350-500 million infections and approximately 1. ... Species Trypanosoma brucei Trypanosoma cruzi Trypanosoma equiperdum Trypanosoma evansi etc. ... Species see text Leishmania is a genus of parasitic flagellate, belonging to the trypanosomes and responsible for diseases such as leishmaniasis. ...

The kinetoplastids were first defined by Honigberg in 1963 as the flagellate order Kinetoplastida. They are traditionally divided into the biflagellate Bodonidae and uniflagellate Trypanosomatidae, which may be promoted to orders; the former appears to be paraphyletic to the latter. 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

External links

KBD -- Kinetoplastid Biology and Disease