Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 64

Essay Example s paper describes the characteristics of Dinoflagellates (causative Phytoplankton Species), including the symptoms of diseases it causes, and the treatment methods available for those diseases. Dinoflagellate is an important group of microorganisms, and they play significant roles in the ecosystem they are found. For instance, primary production of coral reef ecosystem is promoted by symbiotic Dinoflagellates, and this process is referred to as coral bleaching (Tomà ¡s, 1996). In addition, red tides arise from the blooming of the planktonic Dinoflagellates. Dinoflagellates have thecal plates within their cell corticles. The thecal plates are fabricated biologically into various shapes, which are made of high cellulose. Due to the high transparent properties, thecal plates are composed of mechanical properties, which are similar to soft wood cell wall that performs the role of protecting cell covering (Tomà ¡s, 1996). Dinaflagellates are protozoans, and their carrier agents, shellfish, are poisonous to the human body: eating such shellfish causes numbness which spreads to the neck and face after five to thirty minutes of consumption. This causes difficulty in swallowing, incoherence or complete loss of speech, and within three to twelve hours after consumption, complete paralysis may occur, and this leads to instant death due to lack of ventillatory support. Other symptoms include diarrhea, amnesia, vomiting, headache, change in the pupil size, alternation of the reflexes and vomiting (Tomà ¡s, 1996). The animals affected should be subjected to artificial respiration, while human beings require ventillatory support, which can prevent deaths of up to seventy percent of those severely affected people within duration of twelve hours (Tomà ¡s, 1996). As with many of causative toxic diseases, the initials are tips of iceberg. This requires the public to report to public health authorities concerned to prevent further spread of the disease. The most effective way to