Members of the Apicomplexa phylum are obligatory intracellular parasites with significant medical and veterinary consequences, causing diseases including malaria, toxoplasmosis, cryptosporidiosis, and coccidiosis. Movement represents a fundamental biological property; apicomplexan parasites utilize a distinctive gliding motility mechanism to traverse biological barriers, infiltrate host cells, and exit infected cells. Toxoplasma serves as an effective model organism due to experimental accessibility, robust cellular and biochemical methodologies, and established genetic techniques. Given the evolutionary conservation of gliding mechanisms, findings in Toxoplasma apply broadly to other Apicomplexa members, particularly Plasmodium species responsible for malaria. Research efforts focus on molecular characterization of gliding motility, host cell attachment, and invasion mechanisms through studying molecular motors, adhesins, and proteases as invasion determinants. The group investigates how structural proteins facilitate cellular movement and coordinate cytoskeletal dynamics with motor proteins. Research examines posttranslational modifications, phosphorylation, and palmitoylation in regulating gliding machinery. Investigation of parasite adhesin biochemistry clarifies how T. gondii accommodates broad host range specificity and identifies involved host cell receptors. Parasite proteases cleave adhesins during invasion; functional significance remains under investigation.