Comment of Balantidium
Distribution of Balantidium:
Balantidium is cosmopolitan in distribution.
Habit and Habitat of Balantidium:
Balantidium coli occurs as a parasite in the large intestine of humans and other vertebrates such as monkeys, pig, camel,sheep, ostrich. Body is oval in shape, length 0.05 mm – 0.8 mm and breadth 0.06 mm- 0.08 mm.
It is abundantly found in the rectal content of the frog.
1. Body is covered with cilia arranged in longitudinal rows of cilia of uniform length arranged in a slightly spiral manner.
2. Protoplasm is differentiated into an octoplasm and an endoplasm.
3. The cytopharynx or gullet is short, elongated and opens into endoplasm
4. The cytopyge or anal opening is located at the posterior end of the body.
5. Nutrition is holozoic
6. Asexual reproduction occurs by transverser binary fission and sexual by conjugation
Economic importance of Balantidium:
-Balantidium coli is the pathogenic species that cause ulcers and dysentry in man, monkey and pigs
Diagram of Balantidium:
