Monday, November 18 and Thursday, November 21

November 18 and November 21, 2013:
Lecture Topic(s):
Chapter 76: Parasitic Classification, Structure and Replication, p. 715-721.
Chapter 77: Pathogenesis of Parasitic Diseases


Reading Assignments from:

Medical Microbiology, 7th edition
Patrick R. Murray, Ken S. Rosenthal, Michael A. Pfaller
Elsevier Saunders, Philadelphia, PA


Homework Assignment: (based upon the lectures and the reading assignment)
To assist your understanding of the assigned readings, please answer the following questions in the space below:

(Chapter 76-related)
1. Define the word “parasite.” Define the term, “Medical Parasitology.”

2. Classify the following parasites as: intestinal and urogenital protozoa, blood and tissue protozoa, nematodes, trematodes, cestodes, or arthropods: Trichomonas vaginalis, Entamoeba histolytica, Enterobius vermicularis, Taenia solium, Schistosoma spp., Toxocara spp., Ascaris lumbricoides, Leishmania spp., Naegleria spp., Plasmodium spp., Toxoplasma gondii, lice, ticks, Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium spp., Trypanosoma spp.

3. Describe the following parasitic diseases, in terms of (a) Estimated number of infected people, (b) deaths per year, (c) symptoms produced in infected patients, and (d) how the parasite is spread (ie. by vector, by water, etc..): Malaria, Leishmaniasis, Schistosomiasis, Hookworms. What is the name of the anthelmintic drug used to treat Schistosomiasis? What are the two common anthelmintics used to treat hookworm infections?

4. What blood components and or tissues are affected by Plasmodium spp? By Leishmania spp?

5. Describe the life cycle of Leishmania. In your description, use terms such as sandflies (Phlebotomus papatasi), humans, promastigotes, macrophages, amastigotes, sandfly midgut, sandfly saliva and bite. What kind of drug is paromomycin? What does it have to do with Leishmania? What is a neglected tropical disease?

6. List four phyla in Kingdom Protozoa which are grouped as “The Flagellates.” To which phyla do each of these parasites belong? (a) Giardia, (b) Trichomonas, (c) Naegleria and (d) Leishmania and (e) Trypanosoma.

7. Describe the cell structure of a generic protozoan.

8. List three means of motility in protozoans.

9. Describe phylum Amoebozoa. Describe phylum Sporozoa. Describe phylum Ciliospora. To which phylum does each of these parasites belong? (a) Plasmodium spp., (b) Acanthamoeba, (c) Toxoplasma spp., (d) Balantidium coli. What is unique about the latter (d)? To which Kingdom and phyla do Blastocystis spp. belong?

10. (see slides for 11-18-13). What what mechanism do protozoans take up nutrients? What is the difference between a protozoan trophozoite and a cyst?

11. Describe the general structure of helminthes. Are there any morphological differences between nematodes, trematodes and cestodes?

Chapter 77-related

12. List the factors associated with parasite pathogenicity (Nov. 21 slide set).

13. Describe the pathogenesis of E. histolytica. How does this parasite attach to target cells? (Nov 21 slide set).

14. What are Duffy Blood group antigens and how do they impact infection by Plasmodium vivax?

Chapter 82, p. 759-765.
15. Describe the life cycle of Plasmodium (also see Nov 18 slide set for link to movie).