Phylum Ciliophora

Phylum Ciliophora
(Ciliates)
Phylum Ciliophora is a phylum of protoctista containing ciliated protozoa- ciliates- that possess
two types of nuclei, a micronucleus and macronucleus.The micronucleus contain the full
genome, and a larger nucleus play an active role
in cellular regulation. The larger nucleus is
regenerated from the smaller nucleus through
the process of gene amplification and gene
editing.
General Characteristics Of Phylum Ciliophora

(Ciliates):
● Largest free living multicellular organism; however a few

groups are commensal or parasitic.
● Relatively rigid pellicle and more or less fixed shape.
● Having two kinds of nuclei, a large macronucleus and
smaller micronucleus
● They are characterized by having numerous cilia, which
are present both in trophozoite and encysted stage.
● Have cilia that are smaller but stronger than flagella.
● Some ciliates possess an oral groove.
● The cilia move in union to propel the cell through its environment and to bring food
particles down this groove towards the cytopharynx where a food vacuole forms.
● Some ciliates even possess an anal pore which is used to remove waste from organism.
● They have torpedo movement.
● Ciliates reproduce asexually by transverse binary fission and occasionally by budding,
and sexually by conjunction.
● They have trichocysts for defense, that can be discharged and stuck to predators.
● They are heterotrophic and usually consume bacteria.
Classification:
Phylum Ciliophora is divided into two subphylums.These Sub-phylums have several classes.
1. Subphylum posticiliodesmata (2 classes)
2. Subphylum Intramacronucleata (9 classes)
Subphylum Postciliodesmata
1. Class karyorelectica: (e.g Loxodes rostrum)
General Characteristics:
● Almost all karyorelictean species, except Loxodes, have been described from the marine
interstitial habitat, where they live in the pore-water spaces between sediment grains.
Animals from such habitats are known as meiofauna.
● karyorelicteans have many morphological similarities to meiofaunal animals despite
being protists.
● Most karyorelicteans are relatively large (1 mm or more in length).
● Have a worm-like (vermiform) body shape with an elongated tail.
● Exhibit thigmotactic behavior.
● The macronucleus is divided by internal microtubules
● Most karyorelicteans feed on bacteria or algae, and prefer microaerobic conditions.
● However, one genus, Kentrophoros, lacks an oral apparatus and feeds instead on
symbiotic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria that are attached to one side of the cell.
2. Class Heterotrichea: (e.g. Stentor)
● They typically have a prominent adoral zone of membranelles circling the mouth, used in
locomotion and feeding.
● Have shorter cilia on the rest of the body.
● The cilia on the body are in dikinetids, in which either the anterior one or both
kinetosomes may be ciliated, and which are associated with fibers composed of
overlapping postciliary microtubules, called postciliodesmata and found only in this
group.
● The macronucleus is divided by external microtubules
● Many species are highly contractile, and are typically compressed or conical in form.
Subphylum Intramacronucleata
1. Class Prostometea: (e.g. Coleps)

Coleps is a genus of ciliates in the class Prostomatea.
● Their barrel-shaped bodies are surrounded by regularly arranged plates composed of
calcium carbonate.
● Coleps can be taxonomically distinguished by the ornamentation of the ectoplasmic
plates which make up their test.
● These plates are located outside alveolar vesicles of the cell cortex, and contain both
organic and inorganic components, the latter of which is mostly amorphous calcium
carbonate.
● Coleps feed on bacteria, algae, flagellates, living and dead ciliates, animal and plant
tissues.
● Coleps uses toxicysts, which are organelles containing poison that it uses to capture its
prey from its oral area. It extrudes tube-like structures to force toxicysts into its prey.
2. Class Phyllopharyngea:(e.g. Podophyra)

● Motile cells typically have cilia restricted to the ventral surface, or some part thereof,
arising from monokinetids.
● In both chonotrichs and suctoria, however, only newly formed cells are motile and the
sessile adults have undergone considerable modifications of form and appearance.
● Chonotrichs have cilia restricted to a funnel leading down into the mouth.
● Mature suctorians lack cilia altogether, and initially were not classified as ciliates.
● The mouths of Phyllopharyngea are characteristically surrounded by microtubules
ribbons, called phyllae.
● Nematodesmata, rods found in several other classes of ciliates, occur among the subclass
Phyllopharyngia, most of which are free-living.
● In others, the mouth is often modified to form an extensible tentacle, with toxic
extrusomes at the tip.
3. Class Litostomatea: (e.g. Balantidium)

● Conspicuous vestibulum leads into a large cystostome; opposite of which lies a

cytophage.
● Coarse cilia line the peristomal area.
● Macronucleus is typically elongated ; micronucleus is spherical.
● Have two prominent contractile vacuoles, indicating osmoregulation.
● Food vacuoles in cytoplasm contain debris, bacteria, RBCs and fragments of host
epithelium.
4. Class Oligohymenophorea: (e.g. Paramecium, Vorticella)
● They have large horseshoe shaped macronucleus that encircle a smaller micronucleus.
● They have several contractile vacuoles.
● Cytopyge found at the posterior end.
● These include a paroral membrane to the right of the mouth and membranelles.
● Body cilia generally arise from monokinetids, with dikinetids occurring in limited
distribution over part of the body.
● In most groups the body cilia are uniform and often dense, while the oral cilia are
inconspicuous and sometimes reduced, but among the peritrichs almost the opposite is
the case.
● Most are microphagous, grazing on smaller organisms swept into the mouth by the cilia,
but various other feeding habits occur.
5. Class Spirotrichea:(e.g Euplotes)

● They typically have prominent oral cilia in the form of a series of polykinetids, called the
adoral zone of membranelles, beginning anterior to the oral cavity and running down to
the left side of the mouth.
● The body cilia are fused to form polykinetids called cirri in some, and are sparse to
absent in others.
● Forms with cirri are common throughout soil, freshwater, and marine environments.
● Individuals tend to be flattened, with cirri confined to the ventral surface. These are
variously used for crawling over objects, acting as feet, swimming, or assisting in food
capture.
6. Class Colpodea:(e.g. Colpoda)

● The Colpodea are common in freshwater and soil habitats. The body cilia are typically
uniform, and are supported by dikinetids of characteristic structure, with cilia on both
kinetosomes.
● The mouth may be apical or ventral, with more or less prominent associated
polykinetids.
● Many are asymmetrical, the cells twisting sideways and then untwisting again prior to
division, which often takes place within cysts.
● Colpoda, a kidney-shaped ciliate common in organic rich conditions, is representative.
● Most ciliates placed here were originally considered advanced trichostomes, on the
assumption that they lacked true oral cilia.
7. Class Armophorea:(e.g Sicuophora multigranularis)

● Free-living armophoreans live in anoxic or microaerobic habitats, in the sediment or
water column where there is reduced or absent oxygen.
● Armophoreans can survive by encystment when in unfavorable environmental conditions.
This is quite important for clevelandellids because it facilitates their transmission
between hosts.
● Like most anaerobic ciliates, armophoreans have mitochondria-derived organelles called
hydrogenosomes. These specialized organelles produce energy for the cell in absence of
oxygen by the fermentation of pyruvate into acetate and hydrogen.
● Armophoreans harbor methanogenic endosymbiotic archaea that have been located in
the cytoplasm adjacent to their hydrogenosomes.
8. Class Plagiopylida: (e.g Plagiopyla frontata)

● The plagiopylids are a small order of ciliates, including a few forms common in
anaerobic habitats.
● The body cilia are dense, and arise from monokinetids with an entirely unique
ultrastructure.
● One or two rows of dikinetids run into the oral cavity, which takes the form of a groove,
with a deep tube lined by oral cilia leading to the mouth.
9. Class Nassophorea: (e.g Nassula)

● Members are free-living, usually in freshwater but also in marine and soil environments.
● The mouth is anterior ventral and leads to a curved cytopharynx supported by a
prominent palisade of rods or nematodesmata, forming a structure called a cyrtos or
nasse.
● Cilia are usually monokinetids, but vary from order to order.
● The Microthoracida typically have three or more oral membranelles, with at least a
vestige of the paroral membrane occurring during cell division.
● The body cilia are sparse, and often arise from dikinetids, with cirrus-like polykinetids
occurring in the marine genus Discotricha.
● These are usually small and ellipsoid or crescent shaped, with the right side of the body
curved outward, and generally have a rigid pellicle.
REFERENCES:
Phylum Protozoa | Definition, Classification, Characteristics, Examples (biologyglobe.com)
Ciliates (Phylum Ciliophora) · iNaturalist
5. THE CILIATES | Biology Boom
Classification of Protozoa - Biological Classification, Biology, Class 11 Class 11 Notes | EduRev
Ciliophora - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics
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Phylum Ciliophora

General Characteristics Of Phylum Ciliophora

● Largest free living multicellular organism; however a few

1. Class karyorelectica: (e.g Loxodes rostrum)

2. Class Heterotrichea: (e.g. Stentor)

1. Class Prostometea: (e.g. Coleps)

2. Class Phyllopharyngea:(e.g. Podophyra)

3. Class Litostomatea: (e.g. Balantidium)

● Conspicuous vestibulum leads into a large cystostome; opposite of which lies a

5. Class Spirotrichea:(e.g Euplotes)

6. Class Colpodea:(e.g. Colpoda)

7. Class Armophorea:(e.g Sicuophora multigranularis)

8. Class Plagiopylida: (e.g Plagiopyla frontata)

9. Class Nassophorea: (e.g Nassula)

Ciliates (Phylum Ciliophora) · iNaturalist

5. THE CILIATES | Biology Boom

Classification of Protozoa - Biological Classification, Biology, Class 11 Class 11 Notes | EduRev

Ciliophora - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

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