Trichomonas | |
---|---|
Two trophozoites of Trichomonas vaginalis stained with Giemsa | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Phylum: | Metamonada |
Subphylum: | Trichozoa |
(unranked): | Parabasalia |
Order: | Trichomonadida |
Family: | Trichomonadidae |
Genus: | Trichomonas |
Species[1] | |
Trichomonas is a genus of anaerobic excavate parasites of vertebrates. It was first discovered by Alfred François Donné in 1836 when he found these parasites in the pus of a patient suffering from vaginitis, an inflammation of the vagina. Donné named the genus from its morphological characteristics. The prefix tricho- originates from the Ancient Greek word θρίξ (thrix) meaning hair, describing Trichomonas’s flagella. The suffix -monas (μονάς – single unit), describes its similarity to unicellular organisms from the genus Monas.[2]