Kinetoplastida (or
Kinetoplastea, as a class) is a group of
flagellated protists belonging to the phylum
Euglenozoa, and characterised by the presence of an organelle called
kinetoplast (hence the name). The organisms are commonly referred to as "kinetoplastids" or "kinetoplasts" The group includes a number of
parasites responsible for serious diseases in humans and other animals, as well as various forms found in soil and aquatic environments. Their distinguishing feature, the presence of a kinetoplast, is an unusual
DNA-containing granule located within the single
mitochondrion associated with the base of the cell's flagella (the
basal body). The kinetoplast contains many copies of the mitochondrial genome.