sporozoan

spo·ro·zo·an

S0664500 (spôr′ə-zō′ən)n. Any of numerous parasitic protozoans that produce infective spores and often have complex life cycles involving both sexual and asexual reproduction. Sporozoans cause diseases such as malaria and cryptosporidiosis. Most sporozoans, which were formerly placed in the class Sporozoa, are now classified as apicomplexans.

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[From New Latin Sporozōa, former class name : sporo- + -zōa, pl. of -zōon, -zoon.]

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spo′ro·zo′an adj.

sporozoan

(ˌspɔːrəˈzəʊən; ˌspɒ-) n (Animals) any parasitic protozoan of the phylum Apicomplexa (or Sporozoa), characterized by a complex life cycle, part of which is passed in the cells of the host, and the production of asexual spores: includes the malaria parasite. See plasmodium²adj (Animals) of or relating to sporozoans

spo•ro•zo•an

(ˌspɔr əˈzoʊ ən, ˌspoʊr-)

n. any parasitic spore-forming protozoan of the class Sporozoa, several species of which cause malaria. [1885–90; < New Latin Sporozo(a) (see sporo-, -zoa) + -an¹]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

sporozoan - parasitic spore-forming protozoan protozoan, protozoon - any of diverse minute acellular or unicellular organisms usually nonphotosyntheticclass Sporozoa, Sporozoa - strictly parasitic protozoans that are usually immobile; includes plasmodia and coccidia and piroplasms and malaria parasitessporozoite - one of the minute active bodies into which sporozoans divide in one stage of their life cycletrophozoite - a sporozoan in the active feeding stage of its life cyclemerozoite - a cell that arises from the asexual division of a parent sporozoan during its life cyclecoccidium, eimeria - parasitic on the digestive epithelium of vertebrates and higher invertebratesgregarine - vermiform protozoans parasitic in insects and other invertebrateshaemosporidian - minute protozoans parasitic at some stage of the life cycle in blood cells of vertebrates including many pathogensmalaria parasite, Plasmodium vivax, plasmodium - parasitic protozoan of the genus Plasmodium that causes malaria in humanshaemoproteid - related to malaria parasite and having a phase in the viscera of various birdsleucocytozoan, leucocytozoon - parasitic in birdspiroplasm - minute parasite of red blood cells of mammals transmitted by a tick and causing diseases of domestic animalssarcocystidean, sarcocystieian, sarcosporidian - parasite of the muscles of vertebrateshaplosporidian - parasite in invertebrates and lower vertebrates of no known economic importanceactinomyxidian - parasites of wormsmicrosporidian - parasite of arthropods and fishes that invade and destroy host cellsmyxosporidian - mostly parasitic in fishes and including various serious pathogens