# Cercomonad
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{{Short description|Order of single-celled organisms}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Cercomonads
| image = Cercomonas sp.jpg
| image_caption = ''Cercomonas'' sp
| taxon = Cercomonadida
| authority = Poche, 1913 emend. Cavalier-Smith, 2012
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision = *'''[Cavernomonadidae](/source/Cavernomonas)'''
** ''[Cavernomonas](/source/Cavernomonas)''
*'''[Cercomonadidae](/source/Cercomonadidae)'''
** ''[Cercomonas](/source/Cercomonas)''
** ''[Eocercomonas](/source/Eocercomonas)''
** ''[Filomonas](/source/Filomonas)''
** ''[Neocercomonas](/source/Neocercomonas)''
| synonyms_ref = [{{cite Q|Q57086550}}]
| synonyms = {{center|Cercobodonidae {{au|Hollande 1942}}}}
}}
'''Cercomonads''' are small [amoeboflagellate](/source/amoeboflagellate)s,[{{cite Q|Q124459772}}] widespread in aqueous habitats and common in soils.[{{cite journal |vauthors=Karpov SA, Bass D, Mylnikov AP, Cavalier-Smith T |title=Molecular phylogeny of Cercomonadidae and kinetid patterns of Cercomonas and Eocercomonas gen. nov. (Cercomonadida, Cercozoa) |journal=Protist |volume=157 |issue=2 |pages=125–58 |date=June 2006 |pmid=16647880 |doi=10.1016/j.protis.2006.01.001 }}]
==Characteristics==
The cells are generally around 10 μm in length, without any shell or covering. They produce filose [pseudopod](/source/pseudopod)s to capture [bacteria](/source/bacterium), but do not use them for locomotion, which usually takes place by gliding along surfaces.
Most members have two [flagella](/source/flagellum),[{{Cite journal
| last1 = Bass | first1 = D.
| last2 = Howe | first2 = A.
| last3 = Mylnikov | first3 = A.
| last4 = Vickerman | first4 = K.
| last5 = Chao | first5 = E.
| last6 = Edwards Smallbone | first6 = J.
| last7 = Snell | first7 = J.
| last8 = Cabral Jr | first8 = J.
| last9 = Cavalier-Smith | first9 = T.
| title = Phylogeny and Classification of Cercomonadida (Protozoa, Cercozoa): Cercomonas, Eocercomonas, Paracercomonas, and Cavernomonas gen. Nov
| journal = Protist
| volume = 160
| issue = 4
| pages = 483–521
| year = 2009
| pmid = 19589724
| doi = 10.1016/j.protis.2009.01.004
}}] one directed forward and one trailing under the cell, inserted at right angles near its anterior. The [nucleus](/source/cell_nucleus) is connected to the flagellar bases and accompanied by a characteristic paranuclear body.
[[File:2023_Cercomonad.svg|center|thumb|upright=2|{{center|'''Representation of a cercomonad'''}}{{ordered list|[Anterior flagellum](/source/Flagellum)|
Microtubular bands|
Fibrillar rootlet|
[Golgi apparatus](/source/Golgi_apparatus); modifies [protein](/source/protein)s and sends them out of the cell|
Microtubule cone|
[Nucleus](/source/Cell_nucleus)|
[Nucleolus](/source/Nucleolus)|
[Endoplasmic reticulum](/source/Endoplasmic_reticulum), the transport network for molecules going to specific parts of the cell|
[Extrusome](/source/Extrusome)|
[Contractile vacuole](/source/Contractile_vacuole), regulates the quantity of water inside a cell|
Dense granule|
[Mitochondrion](/source/Mitochondria), creates [ATP](/source/Adenosine_triphosphate) (energy) for the cell, tubular cristae|
[Food vacuole](/source/Food_vacuole)|
Prey (bacteria)|
[Lysosome](/source/Lysosome), holds enzymes|
Posterior flagellum}}]]
==Classification==
Genetic studies place the cercomonads among the [Cercozoa](/source/Cercozoa),[{{cite journal |vauthors=Bass D, Richards TA, Matthai L, Marsh V, Cavalier-Smith T |title=DNA evidence for global dispersal and probable endemicity of protozoa |journal=BMC Evol. Biol. |volume=7 |pages=162 |year=2007 |pmid=17854485 |pmc=2194784 |doi=10.1186/1471-2148-7-162 |doi-access=free }}] a diverse group of amoeboid and flagellate protozoans.
They are divided into two families.
* The [Heteromitidae](/source/Heteromitidae) tend to be relatively rigid, and produce only temporary pseudopods.
* The [Cercomonadidae](/source/Cercomonadidae) are more plastic, and when food supplies are plentiful may become [amoeboid](/source/amoeboid) and even [multinucleate](/source/multinucleate).
The classification of genera and species continues to undergo revision. Some genera have been merged, like ''Cercomonas'' and ''[Cercobodo](/source/Cercobodo)''. Others like ''[Helkesimastix](/source/Helkesimastix)'', ''[Sainouron](/source/Sainouron)'' and ''[Cholamonas](/source/Cholamonas)'' have been moved to Helkesida,[{{cite journal |last=Cavalier-Smith |first=T. |title=Kingdom Chromista and its eight phyla: a new synthesis emphasising periplastid protein targeting, cytoskeletal and periplastid evolution, and ancient divergences |journal=Protoplasma |volume=255 |issue=1 |pages=297–357 |year=2018 |pmc=5756292 |doi=10.1007/s00709-017-1147-3 |pmid=28875267}}] while the rest of the family [Heteromitidae](/source/Heteromitidae) has been moved to [Glissomonadida](/source/Glissomonadida).[{{cite journal |last1=Howe |first1=A. T. |last2=Bass |first2=D. |last3=Vickerman |first3=K. |last4=Chao |first4=E. E. |last5=Cavalier-Smith |first5=T. |title=Phylogeny, taxonomy, and astounding genetic diversity of Glissomonadida ord. nov., the dominant gliding zooflagellates in soil (Protozoa: Cercozoa) |journal=Protist |volume=160 |issue=2 |pages=159–189 |year=2009 |doi=10.1016/j.protis.2008.11.007 |pmid=19324594}}]
* ''[Cavernomonas](/source/Cavernomonas)'' Vickerman 2009
* ''[Cercomonas](/source/Cercomonas)'' Dujardin 1841 emend. Karpov et al. 2006 non emend. Ekelund et al. 2004 [''Cercobodo'' Krassilstschick 1886; ''Cercomastix'' Lemmermann 1913; ''Dimastigamoeba'' Blochmann 1894; ?''Mukdeniamonas'' Skwortzov 1960; ?''Changia'' Skwortzov 1960 non Sun 1924; ?''Reptomonas'' Kent 1880; ''Dimorpha'' Klebs 1892 non Gruber 1882]
* ''[Eocercomonas](/source/Eocercomonas)'' Karpov et al. 2006
* ''[Filomonas](/source/Filomonas)'' Cavalier-Smith & Karpov 2012
* ''[Neocercomonas](/source/Neocercomonas)'' Ekelund, Daugbjerg & Fredslund 2004
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Rhizaria}}
{{Taxonbar|from1=Q724194|from2=Q1054821}}
Category:Cercomonadida
Category:Cercozoa
---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Cercomonad](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cercomonad) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cercomonad?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.