Feeding in the Ciliophora

Abstract

Most of the preceding chapters have taken a rather generalized approach towards the process of feeding in protozoa, considering first the types of habitats and how these influence the food sources available in them. Then the endocytotic vacuole was presented as a dynamic unit of digestion, followed by a review of the metabolic pathways through which food once inside the organism could be utilized. Appropriately now a more specific approach is required, so that the particular characteristics within groups can be highlighted. For a variety of reasons some groups of protozoa have attracted more attention than others. The ciliates which live in the ruminant fore-stomach are of interest to agricultural researchers because these micro-organisms have a part to play in the digestive processes of sheep and cows. Ciliates which can be maintained on chemically-defined media are important in biochemical and physiological studies. Because there are so many interesting groups of ciliates, selection for special mention is difficult.