What is the Difference Between Trichomonas and Gardnerella

Thekey differencebetween Trichomonas and Gardnerellais thatTrichomonasis a genus of protozoanparasitesthat causes a sexually transmitted infection calledtrichomoniasis. At the same time,Gardnerellais a genus of anaerobic bacteria that causes a genital infection calledbacterial vaginosis.

TrichomonasandGardnerellaare two genera that contain pathogenic species. They cause diseases in humans.Trichomonasspecies such as阴道毛滴虫cause trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted infection.Gardnerellaspecies such asGardnerellavaginaliscause bacterial vaginosis. Moreover, trichomoniasis, bacterial vaginosis, and candidiasis account for 90 % of infectious vaginosis.

CONTENTS

1.Overview and Key Difference
2.滴虫是什么
3.What is Gardnerella
4.Similarities – Trichomonas and Gardnerella
5.Trichomonas vs. Gardnerella in Tabular Form
6.Summary – Trichomonas vs. Gardnerella

滴虫是什么?

Trichomonas is a genus of anaerobic protozoan parasites of vertebrates. Alfred François Donné discovered this genus species in 1836 in the pus of a patient suffering from vaginitis. These species were predominantly found in anaerobic environments. They are also parasites of humans, birds, dogs, and cats. In humans, the species of this genus can be found in the urogenital tract.Tichomonasspecies are around 10 µm in length in size, and they usually are pear-shaped.Tichomonasspecies also have four flagella at their anterior end. The species of this genus, such as阴道毛滴虫,has a genome around 160 Mb long, divided into six chromosomes.

The species of this genus, like阴道毛滴虫, cause human disease known as trichomoniasis. It is a sexually transmitted disease that affects both men and women. The signs and symptoms of this condition may include froth-like discharge in the penis, burning after ejaculation, irritation inside the penis, thin, white, yellow, or greenish vaginal discharge, irritation, soreness, or redness in the vaginal opening. Moreover, trichomoniasis can be diagnosed through physical examination and laboratory tests. Furthermore, trichomoniasis can be treated through antibiotic medications to kill the parasite causing the infection.

What is Gardnerella?

Gardnerellais a genus of anaerobic bacteria that causes diseases such as bacterial vaginosis in humans. These bacterial species are generally small (1.0–1.5 μm in diameter), non-spore-forming, non-motile, and coccobacilli in shape.Gardnerella vaginaliswas discovered in 1953 by Sidney Leopold. In humans, these species can be found inside the vagina and are part of vaginal flora.

The species of this genus,G. vaginalis,is the causative agent of bacterial vaginosis. However, it is not a sexually transmitted disease due to the overgrowth ofG. vaginalis. The signs and symptoms of this condition may include changes in the vaginal discharge, the fluid from the vagina looking white, gray, or green or smelling fishy, and a strong odor of fluid after sex or during periods. Bacterial vaginosis can be diagnosed through physical examination, laboratory culturing, and Gram staining. Furthermore, the treatment options for this condition may include oral or vaginal antibiotics such as clindamycin or metronidazole.

What are the Similarities Between Trichomonas and Gardnerella?

• TrichomonasandGardnerellaare two genera that contain pathogenic species causing human diseases.
• They can be found predominantly in the urogenital tract of humans.
• The human diseases caused by these pathogens can be diagnosed through physical examination and laboratory tests.
• The diseases they cause can be treated through antibiotics.

What is the Difference Between Trichomonas and Gardnerella?

Trichomonasis a genus of anaerobic excavate parasites that causes trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted disease, whileGardnerellais a genus of anaerobic bacteria that causes bacterial vaginosis. Thus, this is the key difference between Trichomonas and Gardnerella. Furthermore,Trichomonasis a genus classified under eukaryotes, whileGardnerellais a genus classified under prokaryotes.Trichomonasis a genus of protozoa, whileGardnerellais a genus of bacteria.

The infographic below presents the differences between Trichomonas and Gardnerella in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Trichomonas vs. Gardnerella

TrichomonasandGardnerellaare two genera that contain pathogenic species causing diseases in humans like trichomoniasis and bacterial vaginosis.Trichomonascontains eukaryotic parasitic protozoan species, whileGardnerella包含原核细菌物种。此外,the transmission of trichomoniasis occurs through sexual intercourse. On the other hand, bacterial vaginosis occurs due to a disruption in the normal vaginal microflora. So, this summarizes the difference between Trichomonas and Gardnerella.

Reference:

1. Kissinger, Patricia. “Trichomonas Vaginalis: A Review of Epidemiologic, Clinical and Treatment Issues – BMC Infectious Diseases.” BioMed Central.
2. M, Kairys., N, Garg. “Gardnerella.” National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Trichomonas May-Grünwald staining” By Dr Graham Beards – Own work(CC BY-SA 4.0)via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Normal and BV flora” By Dr Graham Beards – Own work(CC BY-SA 4.0)via Commons Wikimedia