Diplomonádové

Diplomonads are a group of flagellated excavate protists. They are characterized by having two nuclei and typically two sets of flagella. These organisms are often found in anaerobic or microaerobic environments, such as the digestive tracts of vertebrates or in stagnant water. A well-known example is Giardia intestinalis, a parasite that causes giardiasis in humans. Diplomonads reproduce asexually, usually through binary fission. Their metabolism is often considered to be anaerobic, and they lack mitochondria, instead possessing mitosomes which are highly reduced organelles derived from mitochondria. These mitosomes are involved in iron-sulfur cluster assembly. The evolutionary history of diplomonads is complex, and they are considered to be among the earliest diverging eukaryotes. Their unique cellular structure and lifestyle have made them a subject of interest in the study of protist evolution and parasitology.