Keywords:
Recognition of any
Digestive vacuole system- This is a
system of membrane-bound vesicles
containing enzymes that aids in
digesting small food particulates.
Contractile vacuole system- This is a
system of membrane-bound vesicles
in which the external fluid is absorbed
and later expelled by means of
contraction.
Cilia- This are hair-like structure found in
along the surface of an organism. It
helps in capturing food particulates
and in moving around especially in
bodies of water.
Free-Living This is the state of living
freely or independently and not as a
parasite or attached to a substrate.
Micronucleus- This is a type of nucleus
which is a diploid and primarily used
in sexual reproduction. It also appears
smaller than the macronucleus.
Macronucleus- This is a type of nucleus
which appears bigger than the
micronucleus. It is often correlated
with vegetative propagation.
Symbiotic association- This is a
relationship or series of interactions
between two organisms that may be
in terms of external and internal
conditions. It can be mutual, parasitic,
or commensal.
Discussion:
Air, water, and hay are all sources of
protozoa in infusions. The middle of the
infusion is inhabited chiefly by free-
swimming types brought there by
overcrowding at the top and bottom
(Protozoa in Hay Infusions, 1912)
Along with the bacteria and
accumulated dirt viewed under the
microscope, a certain species with a slipper-
like structure was also observed. Its internal
structure was made up of food and
contractile vacuoles. The first one was full
of small food particles and the later one was
resided by water.
present nuclei in the species was impossible
due to its locomotion and lack of staining
power in the glass slide. A series of cilia was
also present along the marginal surface of
the species that helped it move in a
reversed manner.
With the observations garnered from
viewing the protozoan, it was inferred that
the species was under the Genus of
Paramecium. Most of these unicellular
protozoans, as described by Grtz in the
book Paramecium, have digestive vacuole
system and contractile vacuole system,
three types of storage materials (glycogen,
lipid, and crystals), a slipper to foot like
shape, an alveolar system, cilia arranged
in rows on the cells cortex that follow
successive beating, a larger micronucleus,
a smaller micronucleus, and symbiotic or
mutualistic association
(Grtz,1998,pp.25,22, 5,29,34,35).
The Paramecium moves in water
with less effort due to its streamlined body
that reduces surface friction, and strokes
produced by ciliary beating. Effective stroke
allows the organism to have a strong
backward movement in a way that the body
moves in an opposite direction. On the
other hand, the recovery stroke keeps the
cilia back to its effective stroke. These
strokes happen continuously and
synchronously in a wave pattern called
metachronal rhythm. Such motility of the
species was described by having a general
speed equal or more than to 1500 per
second (Kotpal, 2008, p.117). Details
provided by the literatures give a distinct
sense that the observed specimen was
really a Paramecium.
Aside from Paramecium, clusters of
very small ciliated protozoans were
observed. From what was observed, it was
identified to be Colpidium. Colpidium
species are considered to be free-living
ciliates. Colpidium species are filter-feedets.
These Colpidium feed on bacteria which
means that they are typically found in
polluted habitats like the hay infusion.
Colpidium is often seen as an indicator of
poor water quality. The cells move by
crawling or swimming with flagella.

Reference List:
Grtz, H.E. (1998). Paramecium. Springer-
Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, Wurzburg.
5, 22, 25,29,34,35 pp.
Kotpal, R.L. (2008). Modern Text Book of
Zoology: Invertebrates.: Rastogi
Publications, New Delhi. 117 p.
Protozoa in Hay Infusions. (1912).
Transactions of the American
Microscopical Society, 31(3), 209-
210. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3221006
Thurman, J., Parry, J.D., Hill, P.J., and
Laybourn-Parry, J. (2010). The
filter- feeding ciliates Colpidium striatum
and Tetrahymena pyriformis display
selective feeding behaviours in the
presence of mixed, equally-
sized, bacterial prey. 61(4), 577-88.
Retrieved from:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubm
ed/20471910