ZoologyGiardia lamblia is an anaerobic flagellated protozoan parasite. It colonises and reproduce in the small intestines of several vertebrates, causing giardiasis. Their life cycle alternates between a swimming trophozoite and an infective, resistant cyst.
Giardia is a diplomonad, has two nuclei, each with four associated flagella. It was thought to lack mitochondria and a Golgi apparatus. However they possess a complex endomembrane system as well as mitochondrial remnants, called mitosomes, through mitochondrial reduction. The mitosomes are involved in the maturation of iron-sulfur proteins.
Keys: Giardia has cells with duplicate organelles, absence of cytostomes, and ventral adhesive disc.