Meaning of PROTOZOA
| Pronunciation: | | `prowtu'zowu
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 WordNet Dictionary |
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| | Definition: | | [n] in some classifications considered a superphylum or a subkingdom; comprises flagellates; ciliates; sporozoans; amoebas; foraminifers |
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| | Synonyms: | | phylum Protozoa |
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| | See Also: | | Ciliata, Ciliophora, class Ciliata, class Ciliophora, class Flagellata, class Mastigophora, class Sarcodina, class Sporozoa, Flagellata, kingdom Protoctista, Mastigophora, phylum, Protoctista, protozoan, protozoon, Sarcodina, Sporozoa | |
| Webster's 1913 Dictionary |
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| | Definition: | | \Pro`to*zo"a\, n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. ? first + ? an
animal.] (Zo["o]l.)
The lowest of the grand divisions of the animal kingdom.
Note: The entire animal consists of a single cell which is
variously modified; but in many species a number of
these simple zooids are united together so as to form a
compound body or organism, as in the Foraminifera and
Vorticell[ae]. The reproduction takes place by fission,
or by the breaking up of the contents of the body after
encystment, each portion becoming a distinct animal, or
in other ways, but never by true eggs. The principal
divisions are Rhizopoda, Gregarin[ae], and Infusoria.
See also {Foraminifera}, {Heliozoa}, {Protoplasta},
{Radiolaria}, {Flagellata}, {Ciliata}.
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| Biology Dictionary |
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| | Definition: | | Single-celled, animal-like, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Protista. Protozoans can occur wherever moisture exists. There are many parasites and commensals of plants and animals, as well as free-living species. They cause a number of diseases, such as African sleeping sickness, malaria, and dysentery. They are an economically and scientifically important group. It is thought that the organisms of the kingdom Animalia evolved from ancestors which were protozoans. |
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