telosporidian
telosporidian, any spore-forming protozoan of the class Telospora (sometimes called Telosporida), characterized by naked or encapsulated spores and no polar capsules. The life cycle typically alternates between asexual and sexual phases; the latter produces infective stages (sporozoites) in which the parasites are usually transferred to new hosts. The sporozoite undergoes a period of multiple division before it produces gametes that unite sexually to form spores.
Citation Information
Article Title:
telosporidian
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
09 February 2009
Access Date:
March 14, 2025