Intro to Blood Flag

• Flagellum


  • Located at the anterior end
  • Absence of free flagellum indicates the posterior end
• Basic structures of flagellates


  • Single flagellum
  • Nucleus
  • Undulating membrane
  • Kinetoplast
• Kinetoplast


  Mass of mitochondrial DNA lying close to the nucleus, an important clue in identifying the specific stage of the parasite

  
• Stages of the Trypanosomatidae


  • Trypomastigote
  • Epimastigote
  • Promastigote
  • Amastigote

  
• Trypomastigote


  • Anterior end has the flagellum
  • Posterior end is opposite to the anterior end
  • Nucleus is at the center
  • Kinetoplast is at the most posterior end
  • Basal body is adjacent to the kinetoplast, where the flagella arises from
• Epimastigote


  • Nucleus is at the center, more posterior than kinetoplast
  • Kinetoplast is found anterior and immediately adjacent to the nucleus
  • Flagellum, together with the undulating membrane emerges in the middle of the cell where the basal body is
• Promastigote


  • Nucleus is at the center
  • Kinetoplast is at the most anterior end adjacent to the basal body
  • Basal body, adjacent to the kinetoplast, where the flagellum arises
• Amastigote


  • Round/Oval-shaped cell
  • Intracellular dividing form in the cytoplasm of vertebrate cells
  • No protruding flagellum

  
• Amastigotes


  • Found in the cytoplasm of macrophages of the host
  • Found inside tissues like the heart