Multiple choice

The termites could not damage wooden structures without the cooperation of which of the following organisms?

  1. Giardia

  2. Entamoeba

  3. Trichomonas

  4. Trichonympha

  5. Trypanosoma
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Trichonympha is a genus of parabasalian protists that live in the intestines of termites. They are symbiotes as they break down the cellulose in the wood and plant fibres their hosts eat. They are extremely motile and feed by engulfing wood and plant fibres through phagocytosis, which always occurs at the broad ends of their bodies.

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