PROTOZOA IN THE DIGESTIVE TRACT 37 



Trophozoites 



1. Living specimens. The body (Fig. 9, l) is oval or 

 pyriform in oudine, and measures about 5-20m long. The 

 commonly seen individuals are about 10-15n in length. 

 The anterior end is invariably bluntly rounded, while the 

 posterior end is usually drawn out into a tapering process. 

 The flagellate moves about in jerky fashion by means of 



A 



Fig. 9. Chilomastix mesnili. x 1150. (original) 

 1. A living trophozoite. 

 2-4. Stained trophozoites. 



5. A fresh cyst. 



6. A stained cyst. 



the three lashing flagella which are hard to be seen in life. 

 The organism is less plastic than Trichomonas hominis 

 (p. 38) which it superficially resembles. In the anterior 

 one-third to one-half of the body is found a conspicuous 

 cytostomal cleft which is somewhat spirally twisted and 

 in which is located a short flagellum. The bodv itself is 

 also frequently twisted. 



2. Stained specimens. The body form is pyriform, with 

 the bluntly rounded anterior and the Ions; drawn-out 

 posterior end (Fig. 9, 2-4). The cytoplasm is reticulated and 

 contains bacteria in food vacuoles. A spherical vesicular 



