paramecium
what is a paramecium
what is a paramecium
paramecium are unicellular protozoans In the phylum ciliophora, and the kingdom protista.
about paramecium
Paramecium is a genus of unicellularciliated protozoa, commonly studied as a representative of the ciliate group.Paramecia are widespread in freshwater, brackish and marine environments, and are often very abundant in stagnant basins and ponds. Because some species are readily cultivated and easily induced to conjugate and divide, it has been widely used in classrooms and laboratories to study biological processes. Its usefulness as a model organism has caused one ciliate researcher to characterize it as the "white rat" of the phylum Ciliophora.
what does a paramecium look like
The paramecium is an oval, slipper shaped micro-organism, rounded at the front/top and pointed at the back/bottom. The pellicle, a stiff but elastic membrane that gives the paramecium a definite shape but allows some small changes. Covering the pellicle are many tiny hairs, called cilia. On the side beginning near the front end and continuing half way down is the oral groove. The rear opening is called the anal pore. The contractile vacuole and the radiating canals are also found on the outside of a paramecium. Inside the paramecium is cytoplasm, trichocysts, the gullet, food vacuoles, the macronucleus, and the micronucleus. Study the drawing below.
paramecium moving
how does a paramecium move
It may be difficult to see in the pictures, but Paramecium have tiny hair-like things, called cilia, all around the outside of their cell. Cilia are important, because they are how Paramecium move. By beating the cilia back and forth, the Paramecium can move through the water.