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Giardia (dʒiːˈɑrdiə or ˈdʒɑrdiə) is a genus of anaerobic flagellated protozoan parasites of the phylum Metamonada that colonise and reproduce in the small intestines of several vertebrates, causing the disease giardiasis. Their life cycle alternates between a swimming trophozoite and an infective, resistant cyst. Giardia were first described by the Dutch microscopist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek in 1681. The genus is named after French zoologist Alfred Mathieu Giard. Like other diplomonads, Giardia have two nuclei, each with four associated flagella, and were thought to lack both mitochondria and Golgi apparatuses. However, they are now known to possess a complex endomembrane system as well as mitochondrial remnants, called mitosomes, through mitochondrial reduction. The mitosomes are not used in ATP synthesis the way mitochondria are, but are involved in the maturation of iron-sulfur proteins. The synapomorphies of genus Giardia include cells with duplicate organelles, absence of cytostomes, and ventral adhesive disc. About 40 species have been described from different animals, but many of them are probably synonyms. Currently, five to six morphologically distinct species are recognised. Giardia lamblia (=G. intestinalis, =G. duodenalis) infect humans and other mammals, G. muris is found from other mammals, G. ardeae and G. psittaci from birds, G. agilis from amphibians and G. microti from voles. Other described (but not certainly valid), species include: Giardia ardeae Giardia beckeri Giardia beltrani Giardia botauri Giardia bovis Giardia bradypi Giardia canis Giardia caprae Giardia cati Giardia caviae Giardia chinchillae Giardia dasi Giardia equii Giardia floridae Giardia hegneri Giardia herodiadis Giardia hyderabadensis Giardia irarae Giardia marginalis Giardia melospizae Giardia nycticori Giardia ondatrae Giardia otomyis Giardia pitymysi Giardia pseudoardeae Giardia psittaci Giardia recurvirostrae Giardia sanguinis Giardia serpentis Giardia simoni Giardia sturnellae Giardia suricatae Giardia tucani Giardia varani Giardia viscaciae Giardia wenyoni Many different species of Giardia exist, so to differentiate between species, very specific PCR (Polymerase Chain Reactions) have been developed to detect specific Giardia spp.

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Related concepts (11)

Giardiasis

Giardiasis is a parasitic disease caused by Giardia duodenalis (also known as G. lamblia and G. intestinalis). Infected individuals who experience symptoms (about 10% have no symptoms) may have diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss. Less common symptoms include vomiting and blood in the stool. Symptoms usually begin 1 to 3 weeks after exposure and, without treatment, may last two to six weeks or longer. Giardiasis usually spreads when Giardia duodenalis cysts within feces contaminate food or water that is later consumed orally.

Giardia

Eukaryote

The eukaryotes constitute the domain of Eukaryota (juːˈkærioʊts,_-əts), organisms whose cells have a nucleus. All animals, plants, fungi, and many unicellular organisms are eukaryotes. They constitute a major group of life forms, alongside the two groups of prokaryotes, the Bacteria and the Archaea. Eukaryotes represent a small minority of the number of organisms, but due to their generally much larger size, their collective global biomass is much larger than that of prokaryotes.