Aconoidasida

Aconoidasida
	Haemoproteus ilanpapernai (Haemoproteidae)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Clade:	Diaphoretickes
Clade:	TSAR
Clade:	SAR
Clade:	Alveolata
Phylum:	Apicomplexa
Class:	Aconoidasida; Mehlhorn et al., 1980
Orders
	Haemospororida; Piroplasmida;
Synonyms
	Hematozoa Vivier, 1982;

The Aconoidasida are a class of apicomplexan parasites coined by Mehlhorn et al in 1980.^[1]

Description

Organisms in this class bear a tip at one end of their outer membrane. This apical complex includes vesicles called rhoptries and micronemes, which open at the anterior of the cell. These secrete enzymes that allow the parasite to enter other cells. The tip is surrounded by a band of microtubules, called the polar ring. As the name indicates, Aconoidasida (from Greek: negative prefix a- = "lacking") lack a conoid (they do have one only during the ookinete stage) in contrast to the class Conoidasida which have one throughout their life cycle.

References

^ Mehlhorn H, Peters W, Haberkorn A (1980). "The formation of kinetes and oocysts in Plasmodium gallinaceum and considerations on phylogenetic relationships between Haemosporidia, Piroplasmida, and other Coccidia". Protistologica. 16: 135–154. ISSN 0932-4739.