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Cell structure - Endosomes & vacuoles - Food vacuoles - Ciliate (Pseudomicrothorax dubius, Ciliata)
Food Vacuoles - Ciliate (Pseudomicrothorax dubius, Ciliata)
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| Description |
The ciliate Pseudomicrothorax, rapidly ingesting filamentous cyanobacteria of the genus Oscillatoria. Seconds after ingestion the normally rigid filaments lose their stiffness, because the cell walls have been quickly digested, releasing the individual cells [1].
Ingestion takes place at the site of a specific organelle, the cytopharyngeal basket. During feeding, a stream of minute vesickles flows along this structure to the point of ingestion.This counter-current of vesicles plays an important part in the mechanisms of phagoctosis and digestion, as is illustrated in the following cartoon [2].
The vesicle current is initiated when the ciliate begins to feed. the vesicles discharge enzymes capable of digesting the cell walls into the forming food vacuole, and at the same time provide the enlarging vacuole with additional membrane material. Pseudomicrothorax can no longer feed when it has used up its supply of vesicles [3].
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Sources
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Nahrungsaufnahme und Verdauung bei dem Ciliaten Pseudomicrothorax dubius. K. HAUSMANN. Publ.: 1981. Col., com. ger. or engl., 119 m, 11 min. [1] 330 µm; DIC; 23 f/s; [2] 85 µm; DIC; 24 f/s; [3] Animated cartoon.
IWF, Göttingen: C 1401
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Abbreviations
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Order |
For further films please search the IWF media catalogue for "cell biology".
Order no.:
- title currently not available -
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