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| | <categorytree mode=pages style="float:right; clear:right; margin-left:1ex; border:1px solid gray; padding:0.7ex; background-color:white;">Protozoa</categorytree> | | <categorytree mode=pages style="float:right; clear:right; margin-left:1ex; border:1px solid gray; padding:0.7ex; background-color:white;">Protozoa</categorytree> |
| − | | + | [[Coccidia Life Cycle]] |
| | ==Introduction== | | ==Introduction== |
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| − | [[Image:Coccidia.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Coccidia - Joel Mills]]
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| − | *The '''oocyst''' is the resistant stage in the environment
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| − | *The infective '''sporozoite''' is released from the oocyst
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| − | *Inside the host, the sporozoites invade the intestinal epithelial tissue
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| − | **Sporozoites feed and grow
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| − | *As the sporozoite grows the nucleus divides forming a '''schizont'''
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| − | *The schizont contains numerous elongated '''merozoites'''
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| − | *The formation of merozoites is the first asexual reproductive stage called '''schizogony'''
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| − | *The schizont ruptures releasing the merozoites which also invade the epithelial cells
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| − | *Another generation of schizonts form which is the beginning of the sexual phase of reproduction called '''gametogony'''
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| − | *The merozoites form male '''microgamonts''' or female '''macrogamonts'''
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| − | **Collectively known as gamonts or gametocytes
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| − | *The microgamonts released from the microgametocyte penetrate and fertilise the macrogamont (which is contained within the macrogametocyte)
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| − | *Gametogony forms the '''zygote'''
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| − | **Surrounded by a cyst wall
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| − | **Forms the '''oocyst'''
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| − | *The oocyst is passed in the faeces and is unsporulated
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| − | *The oocyst becomes sporulated in the second asexual reproductive phase called '''sporogony'''
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| − | *Once the oocyst is sporulated it is infective
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| | <big> | | <big> |