Paramecium is a genus of eukaryotic unicellular ciliates and is widely studied as a representative of the ciliate group. Paramecium is widely distributed in freshwater, brackish and marine territories and is expected in sedentary aquariums and ponds. Some species are widely used in classrooms and laboratories to explore biological processes because they are easy to culture and easily induce binding and division. Its usefulness as a model organism has led some ciliate investigators to characterize it as a "white rat" in the phylum Ciliate.
<h3>What is compound microscope?</h3>
Paramecium size range from 50 to 330 microns (0.0020 to 0.0130 inches). The cells are usually oval, rectangular, foot or cigar-shaped.
The body of a cell is surrounded by a rigid but flexible structure called a membrane. It consists of an outer cell membrane (protoplasmic membrane), a layer of flat membrane-bound sac called the alveoli, and an intima called epiplasma.
The cuticle is not soft, but consists of hexagonal or rectangular indentations. Each of these polygons is perforated by a central opening with a single cilia protruding.
Between the alveolar sac of the cuticle, most Paramecium species have a dense spindle-shaped trichocyst, an explosive organelle that secretes thin, non-toxic filaments often used for defensive objectives.
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