Paramecium bursaria protozoan, differential interference contrast micrograph. This ciliate protozoan inhabits freshwater, where it feeds mainly on bac

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Paramecium bursaria protozoan, differential interference contrast micrograph. This ciliate protozoan inhabits freshwater, where it feeds mainly on bacteria. It moves by beating its cilia, hair-like extensions that cover its body. The small green bodies inside the protozoan are individual Zoochlorella sp. algae, which have a symbiotic relationship with the protozoan. 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: 5125px × 3413px
Photo credit: © FRANK FOX/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: alga, algae, animal, background, biological, biology, bursaria, cilia, ciliate, cilium, contrast, dic, differential, endosymbiont, fauna, freshwater, green, 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