Paramecium bursaria
A ciliate
Paramecium bursaria, a ciliate. Ciliates are protists that swim by beating hair-like cilia. Paramecium bursaria lives symbiotically with green algae, bedded within it. The algae are photosynthetic and therefore can supply sugars. Paramecium has a mouth-like structure through which it can injest food in an animal-like manner.
Photograph detail
Slide 1: Paramecium bursaria, a ciliate. Showing cell membrane with cilia, symbiotic green algae and mouth (left). Also present are diatoms, Pinnularia. Collected from a peaty pool on Redmire Moor. Photographed at x400, brightfield illumination. February.
Slide 2: Paramecium bursaria, a ciliate. Showing cell membrane with cilia, symbiotic green algae and mouth (left). Also present are filamentous algae and a diatom, Pinnularia. Collected from a peaty pool on Redmire Moor. Photographed at x400, phase contrast illumination. February.
Slide 3: Paramecium bursaria, a ciliate. Also present are diatoms, Pinnularia. Collected from a peaty pool on Redmire Moor. Photographed at x100, brightfield illumination. February.
Slide 4: Paramecium bursaria, a ciliate. Habitat, a peaty pool on Redmire Moor. February.