Paramecium bursaria protozoa, differential interference contrast micrograph. These ciliate protozoa inhabit freshwater, where they feed mainly on bact

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Paramecium bursaria protozoa, differential interference contrast micrograph. These ciliate protozoa inhabit freshwater, where they feed mainly on bacteria. They move by beating cilia, hair-like extensions that cover their bodies. The small green bodies inside the protozoa are individual Zoochlorella sp. algae, which have a symbiotic relationship with the protozoa. They photosynthesise inside the Paramecium, providing it with sugars and oxygen, while deriving protection from their host. Magnification: x310 when printed 10cm wide.

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Size: 5120px × 3413px
Photo credit: © FRANK FOX/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: alga, algae, animal, biological, biology, bursaria, cilia, ciliate, cilium, contrast, dic, differential, endosymbiont, fauna, freshwater, interference, internal, invertebrate, invertebrates, light, lm, micro-organism, microbiological, microbiology, micrograph, microscope, nature, paramecium, photosynthetic, protozoa, protozoan, single-celled, symbiosis, symbiotic, unicellular, wildlife, zoochlorella, zoochlorellae, zoological, zoology