with extrusomes

Frontonia, a ciliate that is common in freshwater habitats, eats diatoms. Just below the surface of the cell are hundreds of rod-shaped extrusomes that can transform explosively into stiff filaments used for defense from other predators or to push the cell away from undesirable sites.  This image has been selected from 'Seen and Unseen, Discovering the Microbes of Yellowstone' by Kathy Sheehan, David Patterson, Brett Leigh Dicks and Joan Henson, and published by Globe Pequot Press download as pdf file
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Frontonia

Description of Frontonia: ID NUM: 3983 NAME: Frontonia DESCRIPTION: Species in this genus of pecinuline ciliates range from 60 to 300 microns long. The cell is ovoid with an oral depression in the anterior half of the cell. The cell may be dorso-venterally flattened and may have a pointed posterior. The oral aperture is located at the bottom of this depression. The oral structures are difficult to see without silver staining the cell: on the right of the depression there is a undulating membrane and on left there are three membranelles. Regular somatic ciliation covers the entire cell, with cilia ~10 mm long. Trichocysts occur regularly at the cell surface. Typically one, but possibly two or many contractile vacuoles occur; these may have radiating canals. The macronucleus is ovoid to reniform and centrally located. Habitat and distribution: benthic; plankton; freshwater, marine; occurrence: common. For animation of contractile vacuole complex, click on the image. >

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Frontonia in other collections

Frontonia angusta, from Freshwater and Terrestrial Microbes of Idaho (USA) and Elsewhere	Frontonia atra, from Freshwater and Terrestrial Microbes of Idaho (USA) and Elsewhere	Frontonia, from Freshwater and Terrestrial Microbes of Idaho (USA) and Elsewhere	Frontonia acuminata, from Freshwater and Terrestrial Microbes of Idaho (USA) and Elsewhere	Frontonia acuminata, from Freshwater and Terrestrial Microbes of Idaho (USA) and Elsewhere
Frontonia acuminata, from Freshwater and Terrestrial Microbes of Idaho (USA) and Elsewhere	Frontonia acuminata, from Protozoan biomonitors in China	Frontonia atra, from Protozoan biomonitors in China	Frontonia depressa, from Protozoan biomonitors in China	Frontonia leucas, from Protozoan biomonitors in China
Frontonia, from Microbes of Navy Beach at Mono Lake	Frontonia, from Microbes of Navy Beach at Mono Lake	Frontonia, from Microbes of Mammoth Lake	Frontonia, from Protsville drawings of freshwater protists	Frontonia leucas, from Images from Schewiakoff, 1889
Frontonia leucas, from Images from Schewiakoff, 1889	Frontonia leucas, from Images from Schewiakoff, 1889	Frontonia leucas, from Images from Schewiakoff, 1896	Frontonia acuminata, from Images from Schewiakoff, 1896	Frontonia fusca, from Images from Schewiakoff, 1896
Frontonia vernalis, from Animalcules from Turtle Pond (Wakefield, Quebec)	Frontonia vernalis, from Animalcules from Turtle Pond (Wakefield, Quebec)	Frontonia vernalis, from Animalcules from Turtle Pond (Wakefield, Quebec)	Frontonia vernalis, from Ciliates from Ehrenberg -- 1838	Frontonia vernalis, from Ciliates from Ehrenberg -- 1838
Frontonia atra, from Ciliates from Ehrenberg -- 1838	Frontonia atra, from Ciliates from Ehrenberg -- 1838	Frontonia acuminata, from Ciliates from Ehrenberg -- 1838	Frontonia acuminata, from Ciliates from Ehrenberg -- 1838	Frontonia acuminata, from Ciliates from Ehrenberg -- 1838
Frontonia, from Eel Pond, Woods Hole, Massachusetts	Frontonia, from Lake Toolik, Arctic Alaska	Frontonia acuminata, from Freshwater and Terrestrial Microbes of Idaho (USA) and Elsewhere	Frontonia acuminata, from Freshwater and Terrestrial Microbes of Idaho (USA) and Elsewhere	Frontonia acuminata, from Freshwater and Terrestrial Microbes of Idaho (USA) and Elsewhere
Frontonia acuminata, from Freshwater and Terrestrial Microbes of Idaho (USA) and Elsewhere	Frontonia atra, from Freshwater and Terrestrial Microbes of Idaho (USA) and Elsewhere	Frontonia angusta, from Freshwater and Terrestrial Microbes of Idaho (USA) and Elsewhere	Frontonia, from Lake Toolik, Arctic Alaska	Frontonia, from Prawn Farm, Queensland, Australia
Frontonia, from Lake Toolik, Arctic Alaska	Frontonia, from Protists from Sao Paulo, Brazil	Frontonia, from Eel Pond, Woods Hole, Massachusetts	Frontonia, from Protists from Sao Paulo, Brazil	Frontonia, from Prawn Farm, Queensland, Australia
Frontonia, from Mr Remsens barrel