portrait

Description:

Trichomitopsis (trick-owe-mite-us) is a trichomonad flagellate. this genus has five flagella, four pointing forward and in this micrograph these adhere to each other along most of their lengths. There is also a recurrent flagellum which adheres to the surface of the cell and when it beats causes the margin of the cell to undulate. Flagellates ranging in size from 11-150 microns Costa stout, axostyle stout with a terminal segment often expanded into a pointed bulbous enlargement. The trichomonads often wrap around debris in the gut. They ingest particles of wood which gives some cells a very refractile appearance. From the termite Zootermopsis, supplied by Wards Natural Science Establishment, Rochester, New York, USA. Phase contrast.