What is the Difference Between Cyst and Trophozoite?

The main difference between a cyst and a trophozoite lies in their stages of a protozoan life cycle and their characteristics:

• Cyst:
• Cysts are dormant, resistant, and infectious stages of the protozoan life cycle.
• They are oval or circular shaped structures.
• Cysts are characterized by their highly resistant cell wall.
• They can survive for days to weeks in the external environment and remain infectious.
• Cysts are typically found in formed stool.
• Trophozoite:
• Trophozoites are the feeding stage of the protozoan life cycle.
• They are elongated, pear-shaped structures.
• Trophozoites are rapidly destroyed once outside the body and cannot survive exposure to the gastric environment.
• They multiply by binary fission and produce cysts.
• Trophozoites are typically found in diarrheal stool.

Both cysts and trophozoites are living structures, nucleated, and have the ability to multiply. They can also be observed through a light microscope and can be infectious.

Comparative Table: Cyst vs Trophozoite

Cyst and trophozoite are two stages of the lifecycle of protozoans, which are single-celled, eukaryotic microorganisms, often associated with various infectious diseases. Here is a table comparing the differences between cyst and trophozoite:

Both cyst and trophozoite stages are essential for the life cycle of protozoans, but they serve different purposes. The cyst stage is dormant and more resistant, allowing the protozoan to survive and be transmitted to a new host, while the trophozoite stage is the active, feeding stage that causes infections in the host.