SARCOCYSTIS

genus of sporozoan parasites (phylum Protozoa) that are found in the heart and skeletal muscles of mammals (cattle, pigs, sheep, and man), birds, and reptiles. Infected muscle tissue contains white, cystlike masses (sarcocysts) that range from 25 micrometres (0.001 inch) to several millimetres in length. Each sarcocyst is divided into walled compartments, and each compartment contains a naked, crescent-shaped, sporelike body. The species S. lindemanni has been found in muscles of the larynx, the heart, and other organs in man. A related genus of increasing importance, Toxoplasma, is also found in many vertebrates, including humans.