Heterolobosea
Heterolobosea or Percolozoa, commonly known as amoebomastigotes, is a phylum of protists including many amoeboflagellates. Naegleria fowleri, the causative agent of the often fatal disease amoebic meningitis, is the only member of this phylum infectious to humans. Typically, their life cycle alternates between flagellate and amoeboid stages.
Species
Class
- PhylumPercolozoa
- ClassHeterolobosea
Habitatmarine, freshwater
via
Article
6 sectionsContents
- Characteristics
- Phylogeny
- Taxonomy
- History
- References
- External links
Heterolobosea or Percolozoa, commonly known as amoebomastigotes, is a phylum of protists including many amoeboflagellates. Naegleria fowleri, the causative agent of the often fatal disease amoebic meningitis, is the only member of this phylum infectious to humans. Typically, their life cycle alternates between flagellate and amoeboid stages.
==Characteristics== left|thumb|upright=1.3|Cellular features of the amoeboid stage Most members of this phylum are bacterivores found in soil, fresh water and occasionally in the ocean. The only member of this phylum that is infectious to humans is Naegleria fowleri, the causative agent of the often fatal disease amoebic meningitis. The group is closely related to the Euglenozoa, and share with them the unusual characteristic of having mitochondria with discoid cristae. The presence of a ventral feeding groove in the flagellate stage, as well as other features, suggests that they are part of the Excavata group.