Biology 332 - Protistology Term 2 - 2006-2007

Ciliates Part I Ciliate Tutorial

Today you will be looking at material dealing examples of some of the more primitive ciliate groups. The main objective is to get a good feel for the general organization of the cells and their major features.

Karyorelictid Ciliates

Kentrophoros - a ribbon-ciliate

*Tracheloraphis
general morphology
flagella and kineties, `glabrous stripe'
nuclei

Heterotrich Ciliates

Blepharisma

Polykineties (Adoral Zone of Membranelles)
haplokinety (paroral membrane)
cytostome
food vacuoles
contractile vacuole
kineties
macronucleus

Spirostomum
Hypotrich ciliates

Euplotes

Polykineties (Adoral Zone of Membranelles)
Alveolar boundaries.
Bases of cirri
bases of dorsal bristles
kineties (dorsal surface)
buccal cavity
cytostome

Haptorid ciliate

*Didinium

General morphology
Draw sequence of stages of the process of Didinium eating Paramecium
Coleps - see alveolar plates
 
  1. Kentrophoros. This 'ribbon ciliate' is a primitive karyorelictid ciliate which has no oral apparatus. The cell ingests symbiotic sulfur bacteria which are attached to the ventral cell surface. The refractile granules onthe cell surface are sulfur granules produced by the surlfur bacteria. The bright round body is a contractile vacuole. The nuclear complex is not visible in this specimen. Haematoxalin slide 1, 12.0 x 81.7
  2. Tracheloraphis. Extended, natural-looking cells showing general form of the body and the nuclear complex. The cytostome is at the end of the long 'neck' The nuclear complex in the middle of the body contains 6 macronuclei and 2 micronuclei. See specimen 5 below. Haematoxalin slide 6.
  3. Tracheloraphis. Strongly contracted cell stained to show surface details. Note kineties, flagella, basal bodies, Glabrous stripe. Note the symbiotic bacteria on the cell surface. Focus carefully up and down. Note nuclear cluster with 4 macronuclei and two micronuclei. (Nigrosin 4 B 120 x 10.8)
  4. Tracheloraphis. Stained to show the nuclear apparatus. DNA is stained blue. Focus carefully through specimen. Notice that there are two darkly staining micronuclei and six macronuclei. The latter appear as largely hollow vesicles containing blue-staining chromatin granules. General outline of the cell is faintly visible. This is a really superb specimen. (Azure A 6, 14.9 x 115.5).
  5. Blepharisma - a heterotrich ciliate. Note extensive adoral zone of membranelles, haplokinety. cytostome, food vacuole(s), contractile vacuole at posterior end the cell. Which side of the buccal cavity is the haplokinety on? Is this structure above or below the AZM in this preparation?
  6. Blepharisma - a heterotrich ciliate. Note extensive adoral zone of membranelles, haplokinety. cytostome, food vacuole(s), contractile vacuole at posterior end the cell. Which side of the buccal cavity is the haplokinety on. Is this structure above or below the AZM in this preparation?
  7. Blepharisma - a heterotrich ciliate. Note extensive adoral zone of membranelles, haplokinety. cytostome, food vacuole(s), contractile vacuole at posterior end the cell. Which side of the buccal cavity is the haplokinety on. Is this structure above or below the AZM in this preparation?
  8. Blepharisma - a heterotrich ciliate. Note extensive adoral zone of membranelles, haplokinety. cytostome, food vacuole(s), contractile vacuole at posterior end the cell. Which side of the buccal cavity is the haplokinety on. Is this structure above or below the AZM in this preparation?
  9. Blepharisma - a heterotrich ciliate. A different species than the other specimens. In this one the macronucleus is rod-shaped. Stained to show DNA (Dark Blue). Note many small micronuclei.
  10. Spirostomum, a heterotrich ciliate. Similar to Blepharisma, but much more elongated. Note long macronucleus (red) that is in the form of a string of beads connected by a thin chromatin strand.
  11. Spirostomum, a heterotrich ciliate. Similar to Blepharisma, but much more elongated. Mouth is located near the end of the arrow. Note long macronucleus (red) that is in the form of a string of beads connected by a thin chromatin strand.
  12. Euplotes. Whole mount. Stained to show cell surface, cirri and nuclei (pink). Identify cirri, buccal cavity, adoral zone of membranelles. polykineties (membranelles), macronucleus, micronucleus. Exceptionally good. Be very careful with this specimen.
  13. Euplotes. Whole mount. Stained to show cell surface, cirri and nuclei (pink). Identify cirri, buccal cavity, adoral zone of membranelles. polykineties (membranelles), macronucleus, micronucleus. Be very careful with this specimen.
  14. Euplotes -silver stained preparation. Ventral view up. Fine lines are alveolar boundaries. Note base of cirri and polykineties. Trace course of the adoral zone of membranelles. Where is the cytostome? Can you find the haplokinety? Trace the ventral surface. Where is the buccal cavity? #1 10.3 x 115.0
  15. Euplotes - a hypotrich ciliate. Silver stained preparation. Ventral surface up. Focus through cell to see dorsal surface. fine lines are alveolar boundaries. This is an exceptional specimen. Identify dorsal kineties, bases of dorsal bristles, alveolar boundaries, bases of cirri and adoral zone of membranelles, haplokinety. #2 11.8 x 125.3
  16. Euplotes -silver stained preparation. Ventral view up. Fine lines are alveolar boundaries. Note base of cirri and polykineties. Trace course of the adoral zone of membranelles. Where is the cytostome? Can you find the haplokinety? Trace the ventral surface. Where is the buccal cavity? Focus through the cell to see dorsal surface. Dorsal bristles, kineties and alveolar boundries are visible. #3 11 x 123.
  17. Euplotes. Silver stained preparation. Dorsal surface up. The fine lines are alveolar boundaries. This is an exceptional specimen. Identify dorsal kineties, bases of dorsal bristles, alveolar boundaries. Anterior at lower right. #4 14.2 x 74.5
  18. Euplotes sp. Whole mount showing general form of the cell. Note cirri, Adoral zone of membranelles. Notice how long the polykineties are at the anterior end of the cell. Notice the ridges on the dorsal surface in this species.
  19. Didinium. A haptorid ciliate with an anteriorly located cytostome supported by trichites. Find a nice cell, then switch to the 40x objective, and adjust the illumination, if necessary.. Then focus carefully through the cell and note the arrangement of trichites. Switch back to 10x and note the general organization of the cell. Note 'C'-shaped macronucleus, and the anterior and posterior flagellar bands. What is the significance of 4 flagellar bands on some of the larger cells?
  20. Didinium eating Paramecium. Early stages in the process. Examine first with 10x objective, then switch to 40x to see details of cytostome. Focus carefully through the specimens. 12.4 96.8
  21. Didinium eating Paramecium. Both early and late stages in the process. Study specimens with 10x, then switch to 40x for details. Focus carefully through the specimen and note how the cytostome of the Didinium cell has opened to accommodate the prey.(11.8 x 100.3).
  22. Didinium eating Paramecium. Both early and late stages in the process. Study specimens with 10x, then switch to 40x for details. Focus carefully through the specimen and note how the cytostome of the Didinium cell has opened to accommodate the prey.(11.8 x 100.3).
  23. Didinium eating Paramecium. The end of the process. Focus carefully through the specimen and note how the cytostome of the Didinium cell has closed after the prey has been 'swallowed'.
  24. Coleps - a litostome ciliate (relative of Didinium) with cortical plates lying within the alveoli, as in Dinos. Focus carefully to see plates. Note flagella. Anterior end at right.