Overview
(L. cilium: eyelid, eyelash, eyebrow; Gr. phora: carrying) A phylum of the Protoctista containing ciliated protozoa - ciliates - (including Paramecium) that possess two types of nuclei, a micronucleus and macronucleus. The cilia< span class="toolTipElement" title="Are ::A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.">are used for feeding and locomotion. Ciliates reproduce sexually by conjugation. A phylum of microscopic single-celled organisms (see protozoa), the ciliates, having two nuclei and tracts of hairlike cilia over the cell surface, used for feeding and swimming. Most are free-swimming (see Paramecium) but some are attached to the substrate by a stalk (see Stentor; Vorticella). Most ciliates feed on organic detritus, other protozoans, etc., but some are parasitic, especially on fish and other aquatic animals.
Taxonomy
The Phylum ciliophora is a member of the Superphylum Panarthropoda. Here is the complete "parentage" of Ciliophora:
- Domain: Eukaryota
Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Protozoa
(goldfuss, 1818) r. owen, 1858
- Subkingdom: Biciliata
- Branch: Protostomia
Grobben, 1908 - Grobben, 1908 - protostomes
- Infrakingdom: Alveolata
cavalier-smith, 1991
- Superphylum: Panarthropoda
Cuvier
- Phylum: Ciliophora (doflein, 1901) copeland, 1956 - Ciliates
- Superphylum: Panarthropoda
Cuvier
- Infrakingdom: Alveolata
cavalier-smith, 1991
- Branch: Protostomia
Grobben, 1908 - Grobben, 1908 - protostomes
- Subkingdom: Biciliata
- Kingdom: Protozoa
(goldfuss, 1818) r. owen, 1858
The Phylum ciliophora is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Subphylum (2): Intramacronucleata · Postciliodesmatophora
- Infraphylum (1): Atelocerata
- Superclass (1): Panhexapoda
- Class (14): Acinetidae · Ciliatea · Colpodea · Geleiidae · Heterotrichea · Karyorelictea · Kinetofragminophora · Litostomatea · Nassophorea · Oligohymenophorea · Phyllopharyngea · Plagiopylea · Prostomatea · Spirotrichea
- Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 1,010 species and subspecies in the Phylum ciliophora.
Classes
Acinetidae
Ciliatea
Colpodea
. [more]
Geleiidae
Heterotrichea
Karyorelictea
Kinetofragminophora
Litostomatea
The Litostomatea are a class of ciliate protozoa, divided into two groups, ranked as subclasses. The Haptoria includes mostly carnivorous forms, for instance Didinium, a species of which preys exclusively on the ciliate Paramecium. The Trichostomatia (trichostomes) are mostly endosymbionts in the digestive tracts of vertebrates. These include the species Balantidium coli, which is the only ciliate parasitic in humans. [more]
Nassophorea
Oligohymenophorea
The Oligohymenophorea are a large class of ciliate protozoa. There is typically a ventral groove containing the mouth and distinct oral cilia, separate from those of the body. These include a paroral membrane to the right of the mouth and membranelles, usually three in number, to its left. The cytopharynx is inconspicuous and never forms the complex cyrtos found in similar classes. Body cilia generally arise from monokinetids, with dikinetids occurring in limited distribution over part of the body. [more]
Phyllopharyngea
Plagiopylea
Prostomatea
Spirotrichea
The spirotrichs are a large and distinctive group of ciliate protozoa. They typically have prominent oral cilia in the form of a series of polykinetids, called the adoral zone of membranelles, beginning anterior to the oral cavity and running down to the left side of the mouth. There may also be one or two paroral membranes on its right side. The body cilia are fused to form polykinetids called cirri in some, and are sparse to absent in others. [more]
At least 117 species and subspecies belong to the Class Spirotrichea.
More info about the Class Spirotrichea may be found here.
Sources
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