Dictionary > Naegleria fowleri

Naegleria fowleri

Naegleria fowleri (commonly referred to as the brain-eating amoeba) is a heat-loving amoeboflagellate protozoan of the family Vahlkampfiidae of the phylum Percolozoa. It is a member of the genus Naegleria. It is not a true amoeba just as the members of genus Amoeba. However, similar to the species of the genus Amoeba, this species is capable of altering its cell shape and forming pseudopod. The amoeboid form could be seen during the trophozoite stage of its life cycle. The other life stages are the cyst stage and the flagellate stage. In its free-living state, it feeds on bacteria and thrives in hot springs, warm lakes, rivers, and ponds. It may also live in unchlorinated or minimally-chlorinated swimming pools. From a free-living state, the species can turn into an opportunistic parasite when it enters a host. The trophozoite is the infective stage of Naegleria fowleri. It enters the body of its host (e.g. humans) through the nose, especially during the host’s water-related activities like swimming and diving. Inside the nose, the trophozoite penetrates the nasal mucosa, and later migrates through the olfactory nerves to reach the brain where it feeds on astrocytes and neurons. The condition wherein the brain tissue harbors Naegleria fowleri trophozoite or the cerebrospinal fluid containing the flagellate form is called naegleriasis (or primary amoebic meningoencephalitis). It is a fulminant disease and can be fatal to the host.

See also

References

  1. CDC – DPDx – Free Living Amebic Infections. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/dpdx/freelivingamebic/index.html
  2. Marciano-Cabral, F. (1988). “Biology of Naegleria spp”. Microbiological Reviews. 52 (1): 114–133.
  3. General Information Naegleria fowleri. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegleria/general.html

© Biology Online. Content provided and moderated by Biology Online Editors



You will also like...

squirrel
Animal Water Regulation

Animals adapt to their environment in aspects of anatomy, physiology, and behavior. This tutorial will help you understa..

Plant Water Regulation
Plant Water Regulation

Plants need to regulate water in order to stay upright and structurally stable. Find out the different evolutionary adap..

Water Cycle
The Water Cycle

The water cycle (also referred to as the hydrological cycle) is a system of continuous transfer of water from the air, s..

Adaptation Tutorial
Adaptation Tutorial

Adaptation, in biology and ecology, refers to the process or trait through which organisms or the populations in a habit..

Plant biology
Plant Biology

Plantlife can be studied at a variety of levels, from the molecular, genetic and biochemical level through organelles, c..

Early Earth
The Origins of Life

This tutorial digs into the past to investigate the origins of life. The section is split into geological periods in the..

Related Articles...

No related articles found

See all Related Topics