Entamoeba

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A genus of single-celled parasites that primarily infect the intestines of humans and other animals, often leading to amoebic dysentery
2. A type of protozoan that can cause gastrointestinal infections in hosts, notable for its ability to invade tissues and cause severe illness
3. A microscopic organism from the group of amoebas, which can be pathogenic in humans, associated with intestinal inflammation and diarrhea

Etymology: Entamoeba is a modern scientific coinage, built in the 20th century from two Greek roots rather than handed down from antiquity. The first part, "entos," means "inside," and the second, "amoeba," comes from the Greek "amoibe," meaning "change" or "exchange," a name given to the shape-shifting single-celled organisms that move by extending and retracting their cytoplasm. Putting them together gives a name meaning roughly "inside amoeba," a reference to the fact that these organisms live within the bodies of their hosts rather than in free water. Because the name is a deliberate construction, the ancient Greeks and Romans never encountered the organism or the word. The genus was named by scientists working in the field of protozoology, who routinely drew on classical Greek to label newly described microscopic life. The "-a" ending is the standard Latinised form used for genus names in biological nomenclature. The alternative spelling "entameba," which uses an "e" in place of the "oe" diphthong, reflects the common practice of simplifying classical digraphs in English scientific writing.

Synonyms: amoeba, ameba, entamoeba histolytica