Paramecium protozoan. Computer artwork of a Paramecium sp. ciliate protozoan. Its single cell is covered in numerous cilia (white lines), hair-like st
Paramecium protozoan. Computer artwork of a Paramecium sp. ciliate protozoan. Its single cell is covered in numerous cilia (white lines), hair-like structures that it beats for propulsion, and to waft food particles into its mouth (upper centre). The food particles are then enclosed in lysosomes (grey circles) and digested. Contractile vacuoles (surrounded by red spikes) maintain the correct water content of the cell. At centre are a macronucleus and micronucleus, which contain the cells genetic information. Paramecium sp. protozoa inhabit fresh water, and feed mainly on bacteria and smaller protozoa. There are many species of Paramecium, which vary in size from under 100 micrometres (millionths of a metre) to over 300 micrometres in length.
Size: 5000px × 3549px
Photo credit: © FRANCIS LEROY, BIOCOSMOS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: animal, aquatic, artwork, background, biological, biology, black, buccal, cavity, ciliate, contractile, fauna, feeder, filter, freshwater, illustration, invertebrate, invertebrates, lysosome, macronucleus, membranelles, microbiological, microbiology, micronucleus, motile, nature, paramecium, protist, protozoan, single-cell, single-celled, sp., vacuole, vacuoles, wildlife, zoological, zoology
