Outline Classification of Protozoa by Levine et al(1980)

Subkingdom :- Protozoa

Characters :-

(i) They are usually microscopic  & single celled animal & the single cells performs all the vital activities of the body.
                 
(ii) Body may be naked or covered by pellicle or enclosed in a shell.
                 
(iii) Main locomotory organs are pseudopodia, flagella or cilia (in sporozoa well define locomotory organs are absent).
                 
(iv) Nucleus single or multiple, which in sac like, oval or biconvex & contains a thick endosome.

Phylum :- Sarcomastigophora

Characters :-

(i) Locomotory organs pseudopodia or flagella.
               
(ii Nucleus monomorphic.
               
(iii)Reproduction by fission or syngamy.


Examples :- Amoeba; Trypanosoma; Euglena; Opalina; Entamoeba; Leishmania;

fig:- Amoeba

Fig :- Euglena

Fig :- Trypanosoma

Fig :- Opalina

Phylum :- Apicomplexa

Characters :-

(i) It possess an apical complex which can be seen under electron microscope.
                 
(ii) All are generally inter cellular parasite & lack locomotory organ.
                 
(iii) Micropore may be present at certain stage.


Examples :- Plasmodium; Monocystis;

Fig:- Plasmodium

Fig:-Monocystis

Phylum :- Ciliophora

Characters :-

(i) Locomotory organs are simple cilia or complex ciliated organelles.
                 
(ii) Nucleus are of two types, one micro nucleus & other macro nucleus.
                 
(iii) Presence of cytostome & cytopyge.


Examples :- Paramoecium; Balantidium; Nyctotherus; Tetrahymena;

Fig:- Paramoecium

Fig :- Balantidium coli

Fig :- Nyctotherus

Fig :- Tetrahymena

Phylum :- Myxozoa

Characters :-

(i) Multicellular origin of spore.
                 
(ii) Polar capsule one to many.
                 
(iii) All are parasites in the blood or coelom or cells of cold blood vertebrates.


Example :- Myxozoa

Fig:- Myxozoa

Phylum :- Microspora

Characters :-

(i) Spore single celled, spore wall is without any pore.
                 
(ii) Sporoplasm is with one or two nuclei.
                 
(iii)Polar cap & polar tubules are always present.


Example :- Microspora;

Fig:- microspora

Phylum :- Ascetospora

Characters :-

(i) Spores are generally multicellular, may be single celled.
                 
(ii) All are parasite.
                 
(iii) Sporoplasm may be one or two or many types.


Example :-Ascetospora;

Fig:- Ascetospora