toxoplasma

toxo·plas·ma .täk-sə-'plaz-mə n

1) cap a genus of sporozoans that are typically serious pathogens of vertebrates

2) pl -mas or -ma·ta -mət-ə also -ma any microorganism of the genus Toxoplasma

toxo·plas·mic -mik adj

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n.

a genus of crescent-shaped sporozoans that live as parasites within the cells of various tissues and organs of vertebrate animals, especially birds and mammals, and complete their life cycle in a single host, the cat. T. gondii infects sheep, cattle, dogs, and humans, sometimes provoking an acute illness (see toxoplasmosis).

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Toxo·plas·ma (tok″so-plazґmə) [toxo- + plasma] a genus of coccidian protozoa (suborder Eimeriina, order Eucoccidiida) comprising intracellular parasites of many organs and tissues of birds and mammals. The only known complete hosts are cats and other felines, in which both asexual and sexual developmental cycles occur in the intestinal epithelium, culminating in the passage of oocysts in the feces. The intestinal stages do not occur in other hosts.