Paramecium (The Slipper-Animalcule)

Systematic position
Kingdom: Protista
Phylum: Protozoa
Sub phylum: Ciliophora
Class: Ciliata
Genus: Paramecium
species: caudatum
• The word Paramecium (Grk. Paramekos-oblong shape) was firstly
derived by John Hill in 1752

• They are microscopic, free living and ciliated protozoans

 • Paramecium is a unicellular
INTRODUCTION microscopic, free living
and eukaryotic organism.

• Hardly visible with naked

eyes and characterized by
the presence of cilia,
dimorphic nuclei and
unique type of
sexual(conjugation)
reproduction.

• Looks like a slipper, so

commonly called Slipper
animalcule.
HABIT AND HABITAT
• Paramecium is the most common ciliate.

• Found in fresh water ponds, pools, ditches, etc.

where decayed or decomposed organic matter and
bacteria are found. Thus, they are called infusorian
animalcule (infusoria: area where decomposed
matter is found).

• P. caudatum is a free living and active swimmer. Its

nutrition is holozoic and digestion is intracellular.
• Found in solitary and gather at the surface frequently.

• It responds to all kinds of external stimuli such as

chemicals, light, temperature, contact, electric current,
etc.

• Reproduction occurs by binary fission (asexual ) and

conjugation (sexual)
DISTRIBUTION
• Cosmopolitan in distribution

• Found especially in water rich in unicellular algae,

bacteria, diatoms etc

• Also found in fresh water bodies like pools, lakes,

ponds and ditches having sufficient amount of
decaying materials i.e they prefer to live in
stagnant water.
STRUCTURE
1) External structure
a) Shape and size:
• Paramecium has a definite shape due to pellicle

• The shape of the body is like a slipper so it is called slipper

animalcule

• Anterior end is blunt while posterior end is pointed and

middle part is widest

• Paramecium caudatum is 180- 300 microns in length and

45-75 microns in diameter
b) Pellicle
• The whole body of
animalcule is covered by a
thin and flexible
membrane called pellicle
secreted by ectoplasm

• There are many hexagonal

areas on pellicle from
which cilia arises.
c) Cilia
• Cilia are short hair like
structures present all over the
surface of the body.

• They may be also confined to

specific regions of the ciliate
protozoan.

• Cilia help in locomotion as well as in food collection.

• In Paramecium, the entire body surface is covered by

numerous, tiny hair.
• These cilia are arranged in longitudinal rows
throughout the body. This condition is known
as holotrichous.

• The length of the cilia is uniform but a few

longer cilia are present at the posterior end.

• These cilia at the posterior end form the

caudal tuft in P. caudatum
d) Oral groove and cytopyge

• The ventral surface of the body of

this protozoan bears a prominent,
oblique and shallow depression.
This depression is known as oral
groove.

• It opens into a V-shaped cavity

called vestibule. Vestibule leads
into cytostome (cell mouth).
Cytostome leads into a S-shaped long cytopharynx.

The cytopharynx helps in ingestion of food into food vacuoles.

Undigested food are egested out by means of a temporary opening

called cytopyge or cytoproct or cell anus.
INTERNAL STRUCTURES

a) Cytoplasm:
• Cytoplasm is divisible into two regions.
• They are inner dense and peripheral clear zone of
cytoplasm.

1) Endoplasm: The inner dense zone of cytoplasm is

called as endoplasm or medulla.

2) Ectoplasm: Permanent part of the body and forms

a thin clear and transparent outer layer.
1) Ectoplasm
• It is narrow, non-granular and fluid in nature.

• Consists of trichocysts, cilia and some fibrillar

structures and covered externally by pellicle
i) Trichocysts:

• They are oval or rod shaped minute bodies.

• These lie at the right angles to body surface in the

ectoplasm
• They open outside in the ridges of hexagonal
depressions of pellicle.

• Each trichocyst consists of an elongated shaft and a

pointed tip called the barb or spike.

• The spike remains covered by a cap.

• The shaft consists of a fibrous protein called trichinin.

• The actual function of trichocyst is still unknown but

it may help in offence, defense and adhesion and also
forms the endoskeleton and supports the body
b. Endoplasm
• It is the inner layer of cytoplasm which is
comparatively thin and less granular

• It consists of following structures:

I. Contractile vacuole
II. Nucleus
III. Food vacuoles
I) Contractile vacuoles

• These are two contractile vacuoles in Paramecium, one at each

end of the body.

• One vacuole is located at anterior end and another at the posterior

end.

• Each vacuole is surrounded by 6-10 long and narrow radiating

canals.

• The main function of contractile vacuole is osmoregulation.

• It also helps in the excretion of metabolic waste products

II) Nucleus

• This protozoan is heterokaryotic in other words it has two

nuclei.

• One of these is larger than the other.

• The larger nucleus is called as macronucleus or meganucleus

and the smaller one is called as the micronucleus

• Macronucleus controls all the metabolic activities of the

animal.

• Micronucleus controls the reproductive activities of the

Macronucleus/Meganucleus
• Macro nucleus is bean-shaped and
contains many nucleoli.

• This nucleus is polyploid and controls

all the metabolic activities of the
animal.

• This nucleus divides amitotically during

binary fission.
• The old macronucleus disappears and the new one is reorganized
during conjugation.

• The macronucleus may contain 500 times more nucleus than that of
the micronucleus
Micronucleus

• It lies in the depression of the bean shaped

macronucleus.

• It is spherical, diploid and also contains a nuclear

membrane.

• It controls the reproductive activities of the animal

III) Food vacuoles

• Food vacuole is formed at the tip of cytopharynx

• Contain bacteria and fluid, which circulate by

streaming of endoplasm in clockwise direction.

• The movement of food vacuoles along with the

endoplasm mostly in a definite path is called
cyclosis.

• It helps in the assimilation of digested food and

FOOD AND FEEDING OF Paramecium caudatum

• Nutrition is holozoic

• Feeds upon bacteria, diatoms, yeast, algae etc

• Food particles are carried to the oral groove with the help of
water current

• Water current is created due to beating action of quadrulus

and peninculus

• Filtration of food occurs in the vestibule, only selective food

passes into cytopharynx. This is called filter feeding.
• After the collection of food particles at the tip of
cytostome , a new food vacuole is formed which gets
detached and moves freely within endoplasm

• The movement of food vacuole is known as cyclosis

• Digestion completed and during cyclic movement of food
vacuoles inside the endoplasm.

• Digestion occurs by the secretion of enzymes from

protoplasm into food vacuole

• Undigested food is thrown out through the temporary

LOCOMOTION

• Locomotion is carried out by cilliary action of cilia

• During swimming cilia moves backward which

drives the blunt end forward .This is called
effective stroke

• Immediately cilia recovers its original position

• Cilia moves in two ways:
1)Synchronous movement: movement of all cilia at a
time

2)Metachronous movement: movement of cilia in a

row one after another
RESPIRATION AND EXCRETION
• Respiration and excretion both
takes place by general body
surface

• It occurs through pellicle which

is semi permeable membrane

• Respiration takes place through

diffusion process

• Excretion takes place through

cytopyge
REPRODUCTION LONG Q

• Reproduction is a vital process in organisms to

continue their generation

• Paramecium reproduces by two methods

1) Sexual reproduction: occurs when condition is

unfavorable

2) Asexual reproduction : occurs when condition is

favorable
1) Asexual reproduction
• In asexual reproduction no two individuals are
required.

• Asexual reproduction in Paramecium occurs by

transverse binary fission .

• Transverse binary fission in Paramecium occurs

during favorable conditions like temperature of
water about 24 degree Celsius to 28 degree Celsius,
enough food and water etc .
STEPS OF TRANSVERSE BINARY FISSION

5 marks
• Paramecium stops feeding and swimming and its oval groove
and cilia starts to disappear .

• The macronucleus constricts and elongates and divides

amitotically and move towards the opposite side .

• The micronucleus also constricts and elongates but it divides

by mitosis and move towards the opposite side.

• Two new oral grooves are formed , one at the anterior end and
another at the posterior end.

• Two original contractile vacuoles remain one in each half and

two new contractile vacuoles are later formed in each half.
• In the mean time , transverse constriction appeared
in the middle of paramecium.

• The constriction furrow deepens until the cytoplasm

is completely divided into two equal halves forming
two different daughter paramecium.

• The daughter paramecium which is formed from

anterior half of parent paramecium is known as
“proter ” paramecium and daughter paramecium
from posterior part is known as “opisthe”
paramecium .
• It takes about 30-120 minutes to complete one
transverse binary fission process depending
upon the temperature and this process occurs
2-4 times per day.

• The binary fission can’t continue for long

time. After several generations, the rate of
fission slows down.

• All the individual which are product of single

parent are collectively called clone.
2) SEXUAL REPRODUCTION Long Q
I) CONJUGATION
• Conjugation is the process in which the mutual
exchange of gametic pronuclei takes place between
the two organisms which brings genetic variation.

• Conjugation occurs during unfavorable conditions or

when organism fails to undergo binary fission

• Paramecium reproduces up to 300 successive

generation by asexual reproduction

• To gain the vigor they reproduces sexually through

conjugation
Steps of conjugation
• Paramecium that are ready for conjugation are sticky and smaller
in size called pre-conjugant.

• Two paramecia belonging to same species come close to each

other and get attached on their oral groove side.

• They stop feeding and their pellicle and ectoplasm dissolves at

the point of attachment to form protoplasmic bridge between
two individual. Now they are called conjugant.

• The macronucleus breaks up and it disappears .

• The micronucleus divides twin meiotically and mitotically

forming four haploid micronucleus
• Out of four nuclei , three disappears and only one
remains .

• The remaining micronucleus then divides unequally

forming two nuclei of different size .

• Smaller nucleus is known as male or migratory

pronucleus while bigger nucleus is known as female or
statationary pronucleus .

• The male pronucleus of one Paramecium then moves

towards another Paramecium and fuses with female
pronucleus present there to form zygote nucleus or
synkaryon .
• After this, two Paramecia gets separated which are
now called as ex-conjugants.

• The synkaryon of each ex-conjugants divides by

mitosis for three times forming 8 nuclei .

• Out of eight nuclei , 4 enlarge and get converted into

macronuclei remaining 4 smaller micronuclei , again
3 micronuculei disappear and only 1 remains.

• Remaining one divide mitotically along with binary

fission of ex-conjugant to form two daughter
paramecia with two macronuclei and one
• The Paramecium undergoes transverse binary
fission for two successive times during which only
the smaller micronucleus divides resulting the
formation of 4 daughter Paramecium from each ex-
conjugant. At the end 8 daughter paramecia are
formed .

• In this way, 8 daughter paramecia are produced as a

result of conjugation, four from each mating
conjugant.
Significance of conjugation 5
marks

1) Rejuvenation :
• Paramecium becomes weak and inactive after
several time of transverse binary fission .

• Conjugation helps in restoring new energy

and vitality in paramecium known as
rejuvenation .
• The macronucleus which controls all the
vegetative activities becomes weak and unable
to function properly if just transverse binary
fission occurs in them .

• But because of conjugation , new

macronucleus is formed to control all the
vegetative activities properly .

• That’s way, it is said that the paramecium

never becomes old .
2) Variation
• During conjugation , genes from two different
Paramecium are exchanged during the
exchange of male pronucleus .

• So , conjugation helps in bringing variation in

the paramecium .
3) Multiplication
• A total of 8 daughter paramecium get formed
as the end of conjugation.

• So conjugation help in rapid increase in

number of paramecium.
II) AUTOGAMY 5
MARKS

• It is the process of sexual reproduction in which the fusion of gametes

takes place within the same parent or self gameting fusion takes place.

• Thus, the process is also called self- conjugation or automixis

• It was first reported by Diller (1934)

• It occurs during unfavorable conditions of life.

• Autogamy is a type of aberrant or abnormal reproductive behavior

found in Paramecium aurelia which is slightly spherical consisting of
1 macronucleus and two micronuclei .
Significance of autogamy
• As a result of autogamy, a new macronucleus is
formed which rejuvenates Paramecium by
increasing its vitality.

• It is a type of sexual reproduction in which self-

fertilization takes place and homozygous off springs
are produced.
III) Endomixis
• It is the mode of sexual reproduction occuring
during unfavorable conditions in Paramecium
aurelia.

• It is similar to autogamy except the binary

fission that occurs after the formation of
zygote. Nuclear fusion doesn’t occur at any
stage.
IV) Cytogamy
• It is the mode of sexual reproduction occurring
during unfavorable conditions in Paramecium
caudatum.

• It is similar to conjugation except the mutual

exchange of cytoplasm instead of male
pronuclei between the two paramecia.
V) Hemixis
• The process of reconstruction of macronucleus
without any change in the micronucleus.

• It leads to rejuvenation of the organism.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS ( Short
questions )
• Describe the habit habitat and structure of
Paramecium caudatum
• Describe transverse binary fission in Paramecium
caudatum with well labeled diagram
• Describe the process of conjugation
• Define autogamy. Describe it in case of P. aurelia
• Write in detail about the locomotory organ of
Paramecium
• What is trichocyst? Explain it with necessary diagram
• Describe the nutrition in Paramecium
LONG QUESTIONS
• Describe the conjugation in Paramecium with
well labeled diagrams. Also mention its
significance