- macrogamete:
- a female gamete.
- macrogametocyte:
- the cell producing a female gamete.
- macronucleus:
- the larger of two types of nucleus found in Ciliata, mainly concerned with
daily activities such as feeding and maintenance.
- mammilae:
- ornamental surface projections.
- mandible:
- one of the paired mouthparts of Arthropoda.
- mange:
- disease characterized by hair loss and crusted exudates resulting from mite
infestation.
- marginal hooklet:
- a small hook, usually occurring in large numbers around the periphery of a
complex attachment organ.
- mature proglottid:
- body segment of Cestoda containing functional male and female reproductive
organs.
- maxilla:
- one of the paired mouthparts of Arthropoda.
- maxilliped:
- one of the paired head appendages of Crustacea.
- Mehli's gland:
- unicellular glands surrounding the ootype of Platyhelminthes.
- merozoite:
- a daughter cell resulting from schizogony.
- mesocercaria:
- unencysted larval form between cercaria and metacercaria; only in Alaria.
- metacercaria:
- last larval form of Digenea; usually encysted.
- metacestode:
- a larval cestode that is infective to the definitive host.
- metacryptozoite:
- a merozoite developed from a cryptozoite.
- metacyclic trypanosome:
- stumpy trypomastigote lacking a free flagellum that is found in vector and
is infective to the vertebrate host.
- metamerism:
- division of the body into a succession of similar or identical segments.
- metamorphosis:
- a morphological transformation into a fundamentally different form.
- microfilaria:
- a poorly differentiated first stage larva released by some nematodes into
the bloodstream of their host.
- microgamete:
- a male gamete.
- microgametocyte:
- the cell producing the male gametes.
- micronucleus:
- the smaller of two types of nuclei found in Ciliata, mainly concerned with
reproduction.
- miracidium:
- the ciliated larva of Digenea that hatches from the egg.
- mitochondrion:
- compartmentalized, membranous organelle containing enzyme systems for
energy metabolism.
- monostome:
- a fluke lacking a ventral sucker.
- monoxenous:
- a life cycle in which only a single host is used.
- monozoic:
- possessing one set of reproductive organs.
- mother sporocyst:
- a larval stage of Digenea formed after penetration of the miracidium into a
mollusc; it lacks a gut and gives rise asexually to daughter sporocysts or
rediae.
- mother redia:
- a larval stage of Digenea formed after penetration of a miracidium into a
mollusc, or produced by a mother sporocyst; it has a gut and produces daughter
redia asexually.
- multilocular hydatid:
- a hydatid cyst with a thin, external cyst wall and asexually budding in
internal brood capsules as well as externally-budding brood capsules.
- myzorhynchus:
- central, muscular projection on the scolex of Tetraphyllidea.