Trypanosoma is a genus of unicellular, parasitic flagellates belonging to the class Kinetoplastida (family Trypanosomatidae), a monophyletic group within the phylum Euglenozoa. The name "Trypanosoma" comes from Ancient Greek—trypano meaning "borer" and soma meaning "body"—a reference to their distinctive corkscrew-like movement. Most species of Trypanosoma are heteroxenous, meaning they require more than one host to complete their life cycle, and are typically transmitted by blood-feeding invertebrate vectors.