telosporidian

apicomplexan

Also known as: Telospora, Telosporida

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Related Topics:: apicomplexan

See all related content

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.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kara Rogers.