Protoctista Kingdom

For the protoctista kingdom, one phylum is the ciliate phylum. This kingdom contains other organisms such as algae (including seaweed and kelp), amoebas, diatoms, dinoflagellates, foraminifera, and slime moulds. Almost all protoctists are microscopic. Hundreds of them could live in a drop of water. They make up an important part of plankton.

Ciliate phylum:
The paramecium

Paramecia belong to the group of microscopic organisms called the ciliates. These are the most complex of single-celled creatures. They are quite large for this type of organism. The biggest may be more than half a millimeter long.

They are found on bottom of ponds and slow moving streams all over the world. They will even grow in water of a flower vase. Paramecia feed on bacteria which they trawl as they swim through muddy water, rich in organic sediments. They are strong swimmers, moving at about 60 mm per hour. Their body is covered in a coat of microscopic hairs called cilia, which beat together, pushing the paramecium through the water.

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© Paul Billiet, Shirley Burchill, Alan Damon and Deborah James 2009