Paramecium

Paramecium is a genus of single-celled, mostly freshwater ciliates covered with hairlike cilia. Its cells use cilia for locomotion and to sweep food into an oral groove.

Ciliary movement: Coordinated beating of cilia or flagella that moves cells or fluids. Rows of cilia propel Paramecium through water by coordinated strokes.
Cilium: A short, hairlike cell projection built around a microtubule-based axoneme. Each Paramecium bears many cilia that serve in movement and feeding.
Paramecium caudatum: A species of Paramecium commonly used in studies of protist biology and ecology. It is one of the best-known species used to illustrate the genus.
Amoeba: A unicellular eukaryote that typically changes shape and moves using temporary cell extensions. Amoebas move without the coordinated ciliary rows characteristic of Paramecium.
Oral groove: A ciliated channel in some protists that directs food particles toward ingestion. Cilia sweep bacteria and other particles along this channel into the cell.
Ciliate: A protist belonging to a group characterized by cilia during at least one life stage. Paramecium is a familiar genus within this diverse protist group.
Paramecium aurelia: A species complex of Paramecium that includes closely related, morphologically similar forms. Its cryptic diversity showed that appearance alone can obscure species boundaries.
Euglena: A genus of unicellular flagellated protists, some of which photosynthesize. Euglena typically swims with a flagellum rather than numerous cilia.
Phagocytosis: A process in which a cell engulfs particles into membrane-bound vesicles. Food gathered at the oral groove enters Paramecium through this process.
Pellicle: A flexible outer covering in certain protists, formed from the cell membrane and supporting structures. Its organized surface supports Paramecium's shape while allowing flexibility.

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