Vorticella

Vorticella

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Using tweezers I took a sample from the algae which grew on the margins of an aquarium plant and then I prepared a wet mount with it. In image above you can observe several unicellular ciliate organisms belonging to the Kingdom Protista. Their name is Vorticella and they have an inverted bell shape. This ciliates are anchored onto the substrate due to a contractile stalk called a myoneme. When stimulated, this shortens, causing the stalk to coil like a spring. The cilia from the head of the Vorticella make a current of water (vortex) in order to catch the food around (bacteria and other protozoa).