{{Short description|Order of flagellated protists}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Trichomonas vaginalis (20).png | image_alt = "T. vaginalis" Colorized SEM | image_caption = Two ''T. vaginalis'' trophozoites. Colorized SEM | display_parents = 2 | taxon = Trichomonadida | authority = Brugerolle & Lee 2000 | synonyms = | synonyms_ref = | subdivision_ranks = Families | subdivision = * Calonymphidae * Cochlosomatidae * Devescovinidae * Monocercomonadidae * Trichomonadidae }}
'''Trichomonadida''' is an order of anaerobic protists, included with the parabasalids. Members of this order are referred to as '''trichomonads'''.
Some organisms in this order include: *''Trichomonas vaginalis'', an organism living inside the vagina of humans *''Dientamoeba fragilis'', parasitic ameboid in humans *''Histomonas meleagridis'', parasite that causes blackhead disease in poultry *''Mixotricha paradoxa'', a symbiotic organism inside termites, host of endosymbionts
* ''Simplicimonas similis,'' a parasite originally described from a gecko<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Dimasuay |first1=Kris Genelyn B. |last2=Lavilla |first2=Orlie John Y. |last3=Rivera |first3=Windell L. |date=2013 |title=New Hosts of Simplicimonas similis and Trichomitus batrachorum Identified by 18S Ribosomal RNA Gene Sequences |journal=Journal of Parasitology Research |language=en |volume=2013 |pages=1–5 |doi=10.1155/2013/831947 |doi-access=free |pmid=23936631 |pmc=3723305 |issn=2090-0023}}</ref>
== Anatomy ==
Species in this order typically have four to six flagella at the cell's apical pole, one of which is recurrent - that is, it runs along a surface wave, giving the aspect of an undulating membrane. Like other parabasalids, they typically have an axostyle, a pelta, a costa, and parabasal bodies. In ''Histomonas'' only one flagellum and a reduced axostyle are found, and in ''Dientamoeba'', both are absent.
== Behavior ==
Most species are either parasites or other endosymbionts of animals.
Trichomonads reproduce by a special form of longitudinal fission, leading to large numbers of trophozoites in a relatively short time. Cysts never form, so transmission from one host to another is always based on direct contact between the sites they occupy.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Kamaruddin|first1=Mudyawati|last2=Tokoro|first2=Masaharu|last3=Rahman|first3=Md. Moshiur|last4=Arayama|first4=Shunsuke|last5=Hidayati|first5=Anggi P.N.|last6=Syafruddin|first6=Din|last7=Asih|first7=Puji B.S.|last8=Yoshikawa|first8=Hisao|last9=Kawahara|first9=Ei|title=Molecular Characterization of Various Trichomonad Species Isolated from Humans and Related Mammals in Indonesia|journal=The Korean Journal of Parasitology|date=2014|volume=52|issue=5|pages=471–478|doi=10.3347/kjp.2014.52.5.471|pmid=25352694|pmc=4210728}}</ref>
== Treatment ==
The preferred treatment for trichomonad infection is metronidazole.<ref>{{cite book|title=PreTest Pharmacology|page=221|edition=14}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20060506154203/http://parasitology.informatik.uni-wuerzburg.de/login/n/h/1484.html General info]
{{Metamonada}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q1653094}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Metamonads Category:Metamonad orders