MISS HUNT & MRS. PETTIT'S GIFTED AND TALENTED CLASS

Spirostomum

  • Home
  • Important Info!
  • Grade 4
    • Assignments
    • Birds of Prey >
      • Virtual Pellet Dissection and other Great Resources!
    • Idioms and Sayings
    • Microscopic Organisms >
      • All About Microorganisms
      • Microscopic Organism Guide >
        • Actinosphaerium
        • Amoeba proteus
        • Euglena
        • Paramecium
        • Philodina - Rotifers
        • Spirostomum
        • Stentor
        • Volvox
        • Vorticella
        • Microscope Lab Samples
        • Microscope Lab Videos
    • Newton's Laws >
      • Miss Hunt & Mrs. Pettit's K'NEX Challenge
    • WordMaster Challenge
  • Grade 5
    • Assignments
    • Idioms and Sayings
    • Mousetrap Racers
    • Origami >
      • Modular Origami
      • Math, Science, and Origami
    • Spelling Bee
    • WordMaster Challenge
  • Check These Out!
    • All Things Birds!
    • Critter Cams
    • Helpful and Cool Links
    • South Jersey Gifted and Talented Consortium
  • Contact
BACK TO MICROSCOPIC ORGANISM GUIDE

The genus Spirostomum contains some of the largest Ciliates. Some can grow to to a size of more than 4 millimeters, so it can sometimes be seen without the help of a microscope.

When observed swimming in a little jar of 
pond water it looks like a little worm. Only with the help of a microscope you can see that it is a ciliate. It is totally covered with hair-like 'cilia'. 

One of the cool things about the Spirostomum is the way it can contract. The organism can contract it's body to 1/4 of it's length in 6-8 milliseconds which is the fastest contraction known in any living cell. Like many large single celled organisms, it does not have just one nucleus.  It has many. The nuclei form a long strand, like a string of pearls, visible as the lighter structure in the right image.
​

Spirostomum, like many ciliates, feeds on bacteria. They are swept into the mouth opening with a row of specialized fused cilia. The mouth opening is very small and can be found on the side of the body.*
Picture
​*Information from:​ Spirostomum: The fastest contraction in the microworld; by Wim van Egmond; (http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artoct98/spiro.html)
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Important Info!
  • Grade 4
    • Assignments
    • Birds of Prey >
      • Virtual Pellet Dissection and other Great Resources!
    • Idioms and Sayings
    • Microscopic Organisms >
      • All About Microorganisms
      • Microscopic Organism Guide >
        • Actinosphaerium
        • Amoeba proteus
        • Euglena
        • Paramecium
        • Philodina - Rotifers
        • Spirostomum
        • Stentor
        • Volvox
        • Vorticella
        • Microscope Lab Samples
        • Microscope Lab Videos
    • Newton's Laws >
      • Miss Hunt & Mrs. Pettit's K'NEX Challenge
    • WordMaster Challenge
  • Grade 5
    • Assignments
    • Idioms and Sayings
    • Mousetrap Racers
    • Origami >
      • Modular Origami
      • Math, Science, and Origami
    • Spelling Bee
    • WordMaster Challenge
  • Check These Out!
    • All Things Birds!
    • Critter Cams
    • Helpful and Cool Links
    • South Jersey Gifted and Talented Consortium
  • Contact