View synonyms for paramecium

paramecium

[ par-uh-mee-shee-uhm, -shuhm, -see-uhm ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, plural par·a·me·ci·a [par-, uh, -, mee, -shee-, uh, -sh, uh, -see-, uh].

any ciliated freshwater protozoan of the genus Paramecium, having an oval body and a long, deep oral groove.

paramecium

/ ˌpærəˈmiːsɪəm /

any freshwater protozoan of the genus Paramecium, having an oval body covered with cilia and a ventral ciliated groove for feeding: phylum Ciliophora (ciliates)

paramecium

/ păr′ə-mē′sē-əm /

, Plural paramecia

Any of various freshwater protozoans of the genus Paramecium that are usually oval in shape and that move by means of cilia. Although they consist of a single cell, paramecia are large enough to be visible to the naked eye. Like other ciliates, paramecia contain two nuclei, a macronucleus and a micronucleus. On the cellular surface is a groove that opens into a gullet, into which food particles are absorbed.

1745–55; < New Latin < Greek paramḗk ( ēs ) oblong, oval + New Latin -ium noun suffix; -ium

C18: New Latin, from Greek paramēkēs elongated, from para- ¹+ mēkos length

The differences between paramecium, redwoods, and blue whales are easy to spot.

The Paramecium are propagated by spontaneous division, as already described.

The neurone, however, is a little unicellular animal, like the amoeba or the paramecium.

Swimming vigorously in the water, they devote themselves to chasing the Paramecium.

Jennings found a number of races of paramecium of different sizes living under natural conditions.

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