mutabilis, portrait

Description:

Euglena mutabilis (you-glean-a mew-tab-ill-iss), is a moderately long but usually thin worm-like euglena. It may or may not have an emerging flagellum, and distinguished from similarly-shaped species by the relatively small number of large chloroplasts. The image also shows (from anterior - top): flagellar pocket, stigma or eyespot, small paramylon granules, and nucleus in the middle of the cell. Typically very metabolic - squirming a lot as is suggested by the different profiles in this image. Differential interference contrast.