Diagnostic Parasitology

 Entamoeba coli
 
The cyst of Entamoeba coli, shown at right, measures between 15 and 25 µm in diameter. The key identification feature is the number of nuclei. A mature cyst will have 8 nuclei; occasionally immature cysts with 2 nuclei will be seen. The image at right is an iodine wet-mount (1000x).
The trophozoites of  E. coli typically have a diameter of  20 to 25  µm. They exhibit sluggish motility and have blunt pseudopods. The peripheral chromatin is often clumped and unevenly distributed.  The image at the left is a trichrome stain (1000x).


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Copyright 2008 Don Lehman