Questions on Protists and Disease
Multiple-Choice Questions: Protists and Disease
1. Which of the following protists causes malaria?
A) Trypanosoma
B) Giardia
C) Entamoeba histolytica
D) Plasmodium
E) Paramecium
2. The protist responsible for African sleeping sickness is:
A) Giardia lamblia
B) Trichomonas vaginalis
C) Trypanosoma brucei
D) Naegleria fowleri
E) Plasmodium vivax
3. How is Plasmodium transmitted to humans?
A) Contaminated food
B) Air droplets
C) Mosquito bite
D) Contaminated water
E) Tick bite
4. Which mosquito genus transmits malaria?
A) Culex
B) Aedes
C) Anopheles
D) Tsetse
E) Glossina
5. Giardia lamblia causes which disease?
A) Malaria
B) Amoebiasis
C) Giardiasis
D) Sleeping sickness
E) Trichomoniasis
6. A protist that causes diarrhea through contaminated water is:
A) Trypanosoma
B) Entamoeba histolytica
C) Giardia lamblia
D) Plasmodium falciparum
E) Trichomonas vaginalis
7. Which protist is commonly found in freshwater and causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM)?
A) Entamoeba coli
B) Naegleria fowleri
C) Giardia lamblia
D) Balantidium coli
E) Trypanosoma cruzi
8. Entamoeba histolytica causes which disease?
A) Amoebic dysentery
B) Sleeping sickness
C) Chagas disease
D) Giardiasis
E) Toxoplasmosis
9. How does Entamoeba histolytica typically spread?
A) Through sexual contact
B) Via airborne spores
C) Through mosquito vectors
D) Through ingestion of contaminated food or water
E) Through blood transfusion
10. What disease is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi?
A) African sleeping sickness
B) Amoebiasis
C) Chagas disease
D) Malaria
E) Giardiasis
11. What is a key symptom of Chagas disease?
A) Bloody diarrhea
B) Severe dehydration
C) Cardiac complications
D) Skin rash
E) Liver damage
12. Trichomonas vaginalis is known to cause an infection in the:
A) Intestines
B) Brain
C) Lungs
D) Genitourinary tract
E) Liver
13. Which of the following protists is not typically pathogenic to humans?
A) Giardia lamblia
B) Paramecium caudatum
C) Trypanosoma brucei
D) Entamoeba histolytica
E) Plasmodium vivax
14. How is Trypanosoma brucei transmitted?
A) Mosquito
B) Tick
C) Tsetse fly
D) Contaminated food
E) Direct skin contact
15. Which organ is most affected by Plasmodium infection?
A) Kidneys
B) Heart
C) Lungs
D) Liver
E) Pancreas
16. Which protist has a complex life cycle involving both humans and mosquitoes?
A) Giardia lamblia
B) Trichomonas vaginalis
C) Plasmodium falciparum
D) Trypanosoma cruzi
E) Naegleria fowleri
17. Which disease is associated with blood parasites?
A) Amoebic dysentery
B) Malaria
C) Giardiasis
D) Toxoplasmosis
E) PAM
18. A sexually transmitted disease caused by a protist is:
A) Chagas disease
B) Trichomoniasis
C) Giardiasis
D) Amoebiasis
E) Malaria
19. The vector for Trypanosoma cruzi is:
A) Sandfly
B) Tsetse fly
C) Mosquito
D) Kissing bug (Triatomine)
E) Housefly
20. Balantidium coli is the only ciliate known to infect humans and causes:
A) Brain infection
B) Eye infection
C) Skin lesions
D) Diarrhea and dysentery
E) Liver failure
Answer Key with Explanations
1. D – Plasmodium species (e.g., P. falciparum) cause malaria.
2. C – Trypanosoma brucei causes African sleeping sickness.
3. C – Malaria is transmitted by the bite of infected Anopheles mosquitoes.
4. C – Anopheles mosquitoes are the vectors for malaria.
5. C – Giardia lamblia causes giardiasis, a diarrheal illness.
6. C – Giardia lamblia infects via contaminated water.
7. B – Naegleria fowleri is known as the "brain-eating amoeba."
8. A – Entamoeba histolytica causes amoebic dysentery.
9. D – Spread occurs through contaminated food or water.
10. C – Trypanosoma cruzi causes Chagas disease.
11. C – Chagas disease often leads to chronic heart issues.
12. D – Trichomonas vaginalis infects the genitourinary tract.
13. B – Paramecium is non-pathogenic and free-living.
14. C – Tsetse fly is the vector for Trypanosoma brucei.
15. D – Plasmodium first infects the liver before invading red blood cells.
16. C – Plasmodium requires humans and mosquitoes to complete its life cycle.
17. B – Malaria is a blood-borne disease caused by Plasmodium.
18. B – Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by Trichomonas vaginalis.
19. D – The kissing bug transmits Trypanosoma cruzi.
20. D – Balantidium coli causes intestinal infections, including dysentery.
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