AMOEBA

AMOEBA CYST TROPHOZOITE Peripheral Cytoplasm (Both in cyst and

Nucleus Karyosome Chromatoidal bar Karyosome Ingested Particles Pseudopodia Movement Chromatin (Both trophozoite)
in cyst and
trophozoite)
E. histolytica Multinucleated Central  (Rod-shaped) Central RBC Long; finger-like Highly motile Even No mention
E. hartmanni Multinucleated Central (Rod-shaped with Central  No mention No mention No mention No mention
rounded or square ends)
E. coli Multinucleated Eccentric (Splinter-like) Eccentric Bacteria in a vacuole Broader and More sluggish, Uneven Granular
blunder undirected
movements
E. polecki Uninucleate Pleomorphic  (Ovoid or Central  Blunt Sluggish Even Vacuolated
angular/pointed)
Endolimax nana Multinucleated Central (blot-like) Central (blot-like) May contain bacteria Blunt No mention None Granular and vacuolated
Iodamoeba Uninucleate Eccentric (surrounded Central Bacteria, yeast or No mention Sluggish; Non- None Cyst – large compact mass
butschlii with achromatic granules) (surrounded with other materials progressive (vacuole) of glycogen body
achromatic Troph – Granular and
granules) vacuolated
E. gingivalis NO CYST STAGE Central Cellular debris and Blunt and Quick Even No mention
bacteria numerous

The trophozoites are automatically UNINUCLEATED

UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS

E. histolytica has a HIGHLY REFRACTILE CYST WALL; Resistant to gastric acidity and desiccation; Never found within tissue; hyaline pseudopodium in the trophozoite formed when clean glass-like cytoplasm; ability to colonize
large bowel

E. histolytica, E. dispar and E. moshkovskii all look alike morphologically; You can differentiate them through ELISA, PCR isoenzyme assay and biochemically.

The infective stage of the parasitic and commensal amoeba is the cyst (except E. gingivalis) while the infective stage of the free-living pathogenic amoeba is the trophozoite

E. gingivalis – no cystic stage; Inhabits the oral cavity

E. coli – with dark-staining perinuclear masses which are rich in glycogen; trophozoite as vacuolated endoplasm with bacteria