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Opisthonecta (owe-pissed-though-neck-ta) - one of the peritrich ciliate, closely related to the sessile forms. However, this one is not sessile, but swims around. At the anterior end (upper) are the oral cilia (membranelles and undulating membrane) which form a spiral wreath which then enters into a narrowing channel in the cell to end at the cytostome. This is where food is packaged into food vacuoles, and several large food vacuoles are evident in this picture. Posteriorly, there is another wreath of cilia which help to propel the cell. Large curving macronucleus seen in the upper part of the cell. Differential interference contrast.
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Almind Sø, Jylland, Danmark
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Cothurnia nodosa.
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Ribadelago, Castille and Leon, Spain
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Fuente de Piedra, Andaluca, Espaa
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Ribadelago de Franco, Castille and Leon, Spain
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Canada Del Hoyo, Castille la Mancha, Spain
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Logrono, La Rioja, Spain
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Grove, O, Galicia, Spain
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Vitoria, Euskadi, Espaa
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Portrait of the peritrich ciliate, Pseudovorticella chlamydophora (Penard,1922) Jankowski, 1976. This genus is distinguished from the genus Vorticella by its grid-like silver line system. The transverse components of the silverline system of Vorticella species have no vertical connections. P. Chlamydophora has a thick clear pellicular layer composed of cuboid units, which give the cell surface a distinctive quilted appearance (seen en face here). The extended cell is an inverted bell shape connected at the aboral scopula to a contractile stalk. The cell is spherical when contracted. The stalk contracts as a coil rather than a zigzag (e.g. Haplocaulus). The otherwise identical P. vestita has two contractile vacuoles. P. chlamydophora may be gregarious but does not form true colonies. Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho.June 2005. DIC.
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Opisthonecta (owe-pissed-though-neck-ta) - one of the peritrich ciliate, closely related to the sessile forms. However, this one is not sessile, but swims around. At the anterior end (upper) are the oral cilia (membranelles and undulating membrane) which form a spiral wreath which then enters into a narrowing channel in the cell to end at the cytostome. This is where food is packaged into food vacuoles, and several large food vacuoles are evident in this picture. Posteriorly, there is another wreath of cilia which help to propel the cell. Large curving macronucleus seen in the upper part of the cell. Phase contrast.
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Thuricola (thurr-ick-owe-la) is a peritrich ciliate which lives within a lorica. Contractile and this cell has withdrawn into the lorica. A flap has closed over the contractile cell and this features distinguishes this genus. Differential interference contrast.
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Cothurnia pyxidiformia (Udckem).
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Logrono, La Rioja, Spain
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Rome, Lazio, Italy
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Ribadelago, Castille and Leon, Spain
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Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Miranda do Douro Municipality, Braganca, Portugal
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Surface detail of the peritrich ciliate, Pseudovorticella chlamydophora (Penard,1922) Jankowski, 1976. This genus is distinguished from the genus Vorticella by its grid-like silver line system. The transverse components of the silverline system of Vorticella species have no vertical connections. P. Chlamydophora has a thick clear pellicular layer composed of cuboid units, which give the cell surface a distinctive quilted appearance (seen en face here). The extended cell is an inverted bell shape connected at the aboral scopula to a contractile stalk. The cell is spherical when contracted. The stalk contracts as a coil rather than a zigzag (e.g. Haplocaulus). The otherwise identical P. vestita has two contractile vacuoles. P. chlamydophora may be gregarious but does not form true colonies. Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho.June 2005. DIC.
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