Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Protozoa
‖
Proˊto-zo′a
,Noun.
pl.
[NL., fr. Gr. [GREEK] first +
ζῶ,ον
an animal.] (Zool.)
The lowest of the grand divisions of the animal kingdom.
☞ 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 Vorticellæ. 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, Gregarinæ, and Infusoria. See also
Foraminifera
, Heliozoa
, Protoplasta
, Radiolaria
, Flagellata
, Ciliata
. Definition 2024
Protozoa
Protozoa
See also: protozoa
Translingual
Proper noun
Protozoa
- Protozoans; eukaryotes that are primarily unicellular, existing singly or aggregating into colonies, and usually nonphotosynthetic, placed either as:
Usage notes
- The taxonomy of these organisms is not yet settled.
Synonyms
- (phylum): Plastidozoa
Hyponyms
- (phylum): Sarcomastigophora, Sporozoa, Cnidospora, Ciliophora - subphyla
- (kingdom): Adictyozoa, Dictyozoa - subkingdoms
- or
- or
- (kingdom): Eozoa, Sarcomastigota - subkingdoms[1]
References
- 1 2 "Ruggiero MA, Gordon DP, Orrell TM, Bailly N, Bourgoin T, Brusca RC, et al. (2015) A Higher Level Classification of All Living Organisms. PLoS ONE 10(4): e0119248. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119248. pmid:25923521"