A health worker writes down three illnesses in a district: malaria, sleeping sickness and amoebic…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A health worker writes down three illnesses in a district: malaria, sleeping sickness and amoebic dysentery. Name the protozoan that causes each and the group to which it belongs. Is a protozoan an autotroph or a heterotroph?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
Protozoans are heterotrophic protists, predators or parasites. Amoeboid: pseudopodia (Amoeba, Entamoeba). Flagellated: flagella (Trypanosoma, sleeping sickness). Ciliated: cilia and a gullet (Paramecium). Sporozoans: an infectious spore-like stage (Plasmodium, malaria).
The worked solution
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Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Malaria. Plasmodium, a sporozoan.
Step 2. Sleeping sickness. Trypanosoma, a flagellated protozoan.
Step 3. Amoebic dysentery. Entamoeba, an amoeboid protozoan.
Step 4. Food. All protozoans are heterotrophs, as predators or parasites.
Answer: Plasmodium (sporozoan), Trypanosoma (flagellated), Entamoeba (amoeboid); heterotrophs.
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