micro*scope - version 6.0

Paramecium (bursaria) (par-a-mee-see-um) is a very familiar genus of ciliates. They eat bacteria and have the mouth recessed in a buccal cavity, and the cell is often shaped with a scoop leading to the mouth. There are cilia all over the body with a caudal tuft of longer cilia at the back of the body. Usually with a layer of extrusomes (trichocysts) under the cell surface and a large oval macronucleus. Contractile vacuoles star-shaped. This species is P. bursaria, a species with symbiotic green algae living inside. Differential interference contrast. This picture was taken by David Patterson and Aimlee Laderman of material collected from a freshwater Atantic white cedar swamp at Cumloden near Woods Hole in Massachusetts, USA in spring and summer, 2001. Image copyright: D. J. Patterson and Aimlee Ladermann, image used under license to MBL (micro*scope).

download the summary of this page as a pdf file

download as pdf file
play the video file

download large file
play the video file

classification page

comment image

Paramecium bursaria

From the collection Cumloden, Massachusetts, USA

Description of Paramecium bursaria: Cell foot-shaped rather than elongate, the anterior is transversely truncated, the posterior rounded. Attains 80-150 microns long. The oral groove is very wide for most of its length. This species is easily recognised by the presence of green zoochlorellae in the cytoplasm. There are two contractile vacuoles with radiating collecting canals. There is a single, ovoid macronucleus and one elliptical micronucleus.

Linkouts

images

Paramecium bursaria in this collection

Paramecium bursaria
portrait

Paramecium bursaria
feeding

Paramecium bursaria in other collections

Paramecium bursaria, from Freshwater and Terrestrial Microbes of Idaho (USA) and Elsewhere	Paramecium bursaria, from Freshwater and Terrestrial Microbes of Idaho (USA) and Elsewhere	Paramecium bursaria, from Freshwater and Terrestrial Microbes of Idaho (USA) and Elsewhere	Paramecium bursaria, from Freshwater and Terrestrial Microbes of Idaho (USA) and Elsewhere	Paramecium bursaria, from Freshwater and Terrestrial Microbes of Idaho (USA) and Elsewhere
Paramecium bursaria, from Protozoan biomonitors in China	Paramecium bursaria, from Protsville	Paramecium bursaria, from Limnic and marine Protists of Northern Germany and the Alps	Paramecium bursaria, from Images from Schewiakoff, 1896	Paramecium bursaria, from Ciliates from Ehrenberg -- 1838
Paramecium bursaria, from Symbioses and associations at Yellowstone	Paramecium bursaria, from Protsville	Paramecium bursaria, from Audley Bottom	Paramecium bursaria, from Athens, Georgia, USA

micro*scope - version 6.0 - March, 2006
about this project | contributors | sponsors | site developed by