TRICHOMONAD

any protozoan of the zooflagellate order Trichomonadida. Trichomonads have three to six flagella, and one commonly trails or borders an undulating membrane. Most trichomonads inhabit the digestive systems of animals. They may be uninucleate or multinucleate. Reproduction is by division. The genus Trichomonas is a common parasite in the digestive system of many animals. Trichomonas cells are pear-shaped and may have four flagella anteriorly and a fifth bordering the undulating membrane. A mouth and a basal rod (costa) are found along the membrane; an axostyle, a stiff rod of cytoplasm used for support, often protrudes posteriorly. Three species occur in humans: T. hominis in the intestine, T. vaginalis in the vagina, and T. buccalis in the mouth. Tritrichomonas foetus is a pathogenic form in cattle. See trichomoniasis.