mastigote

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek μάστιξ (mástix, “whip, scourge”) +‎ -ote.

Noun

mastigote (plural mastigotes)

1. A single-celled microorganism that moves by means of an undulipodium, such as a flagellum, rather than using pseudopodia.

Usage notes

• An organism may be a mastigote throughout its life cycle, or may spend part of its life as an amoeboid cell, and part of its life as a mastigote. The term is therefore not used for classification in a taxonomic sense.

Antonyms

• amoeba

Derived terms

• amastigote
• choanamastigote
• epimastigote
• endomastigote
• opisthomastigote
• promastigote
• trypomastigote

Related terms

• mastigophore

See also

• flagellum
• cilium