Paramecium

Paramecium Paramecium or Paramoecium is a genus of unicellular ciliated protozoa. They are characterised by the presence of thousands of cilia covering their body. They are found in freshwater, marine and brackish water. They are also found attached to the surface. Reproduction is primarily through asexual means (binary fission). They are slipper-shaped and also exhibit conjugation. They are easy to cultivate and widely used to study biological processes. Table of Content • • • • • • Paramecium Classification Paramecium is unicellular and eukaryotic, so they are kept in the kingdom Protista. They are ciliated protozoan and come under phylum Ciliophora. The common species of Paramecium include: Paramecium aurelia Paramecium caudatum Paramecium woodruffi Paramecium trichium Domain Eukaryota Kingdom Protista Phylum Ciliophora Class Oligohymenophorea Order Peniculida Family Parameciidae Genus Paramecium Features • The cell size varies from 50 µ to 300 µ. The cell is ovoid, slipper or cigar-shaped • The cellular cytoplasm is enclosed in a pellicle. Pellicle consists of an outer plasma membrane, inner epiplasm and a layer of alveoli, present in between both the layers. The pellicle is elastic and gives the cell its definite but changeable shape • Cilia project from the depressions in the pellicle and cover the entire body surface. They are used for locomotion and taking nutrient-rich water inside the gullet • Protoplasm is divided into outer ectoplasm and inner endoplasm, whic...

Contents • 1 Movement and feeding • 2 Nucleus • 3 Paramecium reproduction • 4 Taxonomy • 5 Paramecium ecology • 6 References • 7 Credits Movement and feeding The hair-like cilia that cover the outer body of the paramecium are in constant motion, helping the organism move along at a speed of four times its own length per second. As it moves forward, it rotates on its axis, which aids in pushing food into the gullet. It can move backwards by reversing the motion of the cilia. Food enters the food vacuoles, which cilia push into the gullet in a process known as phagocytosis, and is digested with the aid of hydorchloric acid and cytoproct. Osmoregulation is carried out by a pair of contractile vacuoles on either end of the Some Paramecium bursaria, form Nucleus Paramecia are rare among the Micronuclei contain normal diploid Macronuclei are derived from the micronuclei, but contain multiple copies of the genome and the Paramecium reproduction Most paramecia undergo cell division, binary fission, dividing the cell into two new cells that rapidly grow and develop into the new organisms. This process can happen up to three times a day if the conditions are right. While paramicia usually reproduce asexually, when food supplies are low, they may reproduce through a form of conjugation, the transfer of Taxonomy The division into P. aurelia has recently been divided into 14 species—but the following are representative: • P. aurelia (Ehrenberg), 1838 • Paramecium bursaria (Ehrenberg) F...

A Paramecium is a free-living, motile, single-cell (unicellular) organism belonging to the kingdom Protista that are naturally found in aquatic habitats. They have a lifespan of a hundred, a thousand or even a million years. They are the most common of all ciliate organisms that are characterized by the presence of Paramecium include Paramecium aurelia, Paramecium caudatum, Paramecium woodruffi, and Paramecium trichium. The word ‘Paramecium’ was coined in 1752 by John Hill and later studied in detail by O. F. Müller. How Big is a Paramecium Species of Paramecium vary widely in size from 50 to 330 µm (0.0020 to 0.0130in) and thus can be viewed under a light microscope. Cells are typically oval, elongated, foot or cigar-shaped which are rounded at the front and pointed at the back. Parts The basic anatomy of Paramecium shows the following distinct and specialized structures in their cell: 1. Pellicle: Flexible, thin, elastic membrane consisting of outer plasma membrane and an inner membrane called epiplasm, but lacking a 2. Cilia: It is of two types. Primarily short, hair-like projections arranged in longitudinal rows throughout the body that helps in their movement. The others are long and fewer in number, present at the posterior end of their body that helps to catch and eat prey. 3. Paramecium contains organelles such as 4. Nucleus: It is of two types which differ in their shape, content and function: a) Macronucleus: Kidney like or ellipsoidal in shape that is densely pa...

If you’ve ever been swimming in a pond, a lake, or some other stagnant body of fresh water out in nature you may have been wondering what other things were swimming with you. There are the things you may be able to see like fish, turtles, and ducks, but there are so many more things that you can’t see, even if the water is completely clear. That’s because there are tiny microorganisms that live in such bodies of water that you cannot see at all, or at least very well, without the help of a microscope. Chances are one of the tiny microorganisms accompanying you without your knowledge was a species of paramecium. Paramecium is a genus of single-celled, Paramecium are grouped into a specialized category called “ciliate” because their cells contain small hair like structures on the exterior called cilia which the paramecium use for movement and to engulf their food. Large paramecium can sometimes be visible to the naked eye and will only require a microscope to see the minute details. However, most species of paramecium will require a microscope to see. Paramecium are officially classified in the following way: • Kingdom: Protista • Subkingdom: Protozoa • Phylum: Ciliophora • Class: Oligohymenophorea • Subclass: Hymenostomatia • Order: Hymenostomatida • Suborder: Peniculina • Family: Parameciiade • Genus: Paramecium Anatomy of the Paramecium To understand this organism, we need to take a look at what makes this thing tick. Let’s take a look at the anatomy of a paramecia. Cilia...