TERMINOLOGY AND NOMENCLATURE OF THE CYTOSKELETAL ELEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FLAGELLAR CILIARY APPARATUS IN PROTISTS

The terminology used to describe the cytoskeleton of protists is sometimes redundant and confusing. The independent origins of protistology from studies on algae, fungi, and protozoans led to these problems. Additionally, recent studies indicate that seemingly unrelated taxa form new, monophyletic groups. However, homologous structures that support monophyly are difficult to identify when the literature is published in journals restricted to specific fields or when the terminology is in duplicate or triplicate. The purpose of this paper is to establish clear definitions, identify synonyms, and indicate homologies where possible.