What type of organism is Trypanosoma brucei?

Trypanosoma brucei is classified as a protozoan because it belongs to the group of single-celled eukaryotic organisms. Specifically, it is a flagellated protozoan that causes African sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in animals. As a member of the Trypanosomatidae family, it exhibits characteristics typical of protozoa, such as the presence of locomotive structures (flagella) and a complex life cycle that includes both mammalian and insect hosts.

Protozoa are distinct from bacteria, which are prokaryotic and lack a defined nucleus, and from fungi and helminths, which are multicellular organisms. The classification of Trypanosoma brucei as a protozoan helps in understanding its biology, life cycle, and the mechanisms of disease it causes, as well as the treatments available against infections it may provoke.