Paramecium bursaria conjugating

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Wim van Egmond
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Paramecium bursaria conjugating

Post by Wim van Egmond »

It is not the most original subject. But Paramecium bursaria, with its symbiotic algae inside is a nice subject. I noticed two of them conjugating. When you focus on the interior you can see many interesting details. Perhaps I am making this up but it is as if you can see the nucleï with the chromosomes in some stage of Mitosis?

Wim

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piotr
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Post by piotr »

Wim, this is absolutely outstanding. I can't imagine better pictures. The details of the nuclear division are incredible.

Your pictures made me to read a corresponding chapter in Ralph Wichterman's book, "The Biology of Paramecium" (1953). Here are some interesting and weird facts I have found:

- "... King (1693) appears to have been the first to assign a sexual process to ciliates..."

- "... sexual union (...) have been first observed by Leeuwenhoek (1695)"

- "... first detailed account of conjugation in P. bursaria was made by Hamburger (1904)..."

- "... preconjugants (individuals entering into conjugation) appear to be somewhat adhesive or sticky..."

- 95 hours are required to complete all stages of conjugation in P. bursaria

- sometimes reconjugation occurs - when an animal separates from its mate and pairs with another one before its nuclear reorganization has completed

- "... instances have been reported in which three or more specimens were involved"

- "... Wichterman reported the union resembling conjugating pairs of a living P. caudatum with a dead specimen..."
Piotr

Wim van Egmond
Posts: 440
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2005 5:17 am
Location: Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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Post by Wim van Egmond »

Thanks Piotr!

Wow, these facts become stranger and stranger towards the end!!!!!

Wim

Charles Krebs
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Location: Issaquah, WA USA

Post by Charles Krebs »

These are really beautiful Wim!

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