Parasite
Toxoplasma gondii
Cat-associated apicomplexan clue
TOK-soh-plaz-muh GON-dee-eye
High-yield clue
Cat definitive-host vocabulary + tissue cysts + congenital association.
Overview
An apicomplexan parasite used to teach cat definitive-host vocabulary, tissue cysts, and congenital/opportunistic infection concepts.
Classification
- Protozoan
- Apicomplexan
- Tissue cyst concept
Lab & identification clues
- Serology vocabulary
- PCR concept
- Tachyzoite/bradyzoite life-stage terms
Associations
- Congenital infection vocabulary
- Immunocompromised-host encephalitis vocabulary
- Foodborne tissue cyst framing
Commonly confused with
- Plasmodium species
- Cryptosporidium
Your notes
Original student-study summary. Sources checked: OpenStax Microbiology 2e, NCBI Bookshelf Medical Microbiology, and CDC topic pages where applicable; reviewed 2026-06. Educational only; no diagnosis, treatment, dosing, or specimen-handling guidance.