[Campbell Biology P.710] Which statement about Microsporidians is FALSE? | Practice Question
Which statement about Microsporidians is FALSE?
A: They are unicellular parasites of protists and animals, including humans.
B: Their genome size is typically larger than that of most eukaryotes due to their parasitic lifestyle.
C: *Nosema ceranae* is a microsporidian that parasitizes honeybees and contributes to Colony Collapse Disorder.
D: Unlike most basal fungi, they lack flagellated spores and infect host cells via a harpoon-like organelle.
Explanation
The text explicitly states that Encephalitozoon intestinalis , a microsporidian, has a genome size of 2.3 Mb, which is 'the smallest genome of any eukaryote sequenced to date'. This contradicts the statement that their genome size is typically larger than that of most eukaryotes.