''Blepharisma'' is a genus of unicellular ciliate

protists A protist () is any eukaryotic organism (that is, an organism whose cells contain a cell nucleus) that is not an animal, plant, or fungus. While it is likely that protists share a common ancestor (the last eukaryotic common ancestor), the excl ...

found in fresh and salt water. The group includes about 40 accepted species, and many sub-varieties and strains. While species vary considerably in size and shape, most are easily identified by their red or pinkish color, which is caused by granules of the pigment

blepharismin ''Blepharisma'' is a genus of unicellular ciliate protists found in fresh and salt water. The group includes about 40 accepted species, and many sub-varieties and strains. While species vary considerably in size and shape, most are easily ident ...

. All members of the genus possess a long series of

membranelle Membranelles (also membranellae) are structures found around the mouth, or cytostome, in ciliates. They are typically arranged in series, to form an "adoral zone of membranelles," or AZM, on the left side of the buccal cavity (peristome). The membra ...

s on the left side of the oral groove, and an "undulating membrane" (a structure resembling a flap, scarf or small sail, composed of long cilia fused together as a single sheet) on the right side of the peristome, toward the posterior. Certain species of ''Blepharisma'' have served as

model organism A model organism (often shortened to model) is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the model organism will provide insight into the workin ...

s for scientific research. Since some varieties are easily cultured and readily available from scientific supply houses, they are a common object of study in school science classes.

Appearance

''Blepharisma'' may be as small as 50 micrometres in length, or as large as 1 mm (though normal size range is between 75 and 300 micrometres). Body shape varies within the genus. The type species of the genus, ''B. persicinum,'' is ellipsoidal. ''Blepharisma lateritium'' is teardrop-shaped, with a rounded posterior; while ''Blepharisma elongatum'' and ''Blepharisma sphagni'' are long and thin, tapering at the posterior into a tail-like point. All species are uniformly ciliated, with the cilia arranged in longitudinal rows, and stripes of pigment alternating between rows of cilia. Cilia, short hairlike organelles, sweep food into its mouth and are used for movement. The pink or red pigmentation may be quite pale, and in certain cases it is absent altogether. A contractile vacuole, often quite large, is located in the posterior. The Macronuclei can take a variety of forms. Depending on species and phase of life, they may be rod-shaped, ovoid, spherical, or moniliform (like a rosary, or string of beads).

Reproduction and sexual phenomena

Like all ciliates, ''Blepharisma'' reproduce asexually, by binary fission, dividing transversally. Fission may occur spontaneously, as part of the

vegetative Vegetative describes vegetation. Vegetative may also refer to: *Vegetative reproduction Vegetative reproduction (also known as vegetative propagation, vegetative multiplication or cloning) is any form of asexual reproduction occurring in ...

cell cycle, or it may follow a sexual phenomenon called

conjugation Conjugation or conjugate may refer to: Linguistics * Grammatical conjugation, the modification of a verb from its basic form * Emotive conjugation or Russell's conjugation, the use of loaded language Mathematics * Complex conjugation, the chang ...

, a process through which genetic material is exchanged between cells. In conjugation, two organisms come into close contact, and a temporary cytoplasmic bridge forms between them. The micronuclei of each cell then undergo meiosis, and

haploid Ploidy () is the number of complete sets of chromosomes in a cell, and hence the number of possible alleles for autosomal and pseudoautosomal genes. Sets of chromosomes refer to the number of maternal and paternal chromosome copies, respectively ...

micronuclei pass from one individual to the other. This permits the reshuffling of hereditary characteristics, as in other types of sexual reproduction. Conjugation is immediately followed by binary fission of the two conjugants. In ''Blepharisma'', as in some other ciliates, chemical substances called gamones are used to induce conjugation by stimulating interaction between compatible mating partners. Although clonal cells of ''Blepharisma'' are sometimes able to conjugate with one another (a phenomenon known as selfing),Miyake A. (1981). Cell interaction by gamones in Blepharisma In: Sexual Interactions in Eukaryotic Microbes (O’Day, D.H. editor), pp. 95-129 New York: Academic Press. conjugation ordinarily involves the interaction of cells of different mating types. In the species ''Blepharisma japonicum'', there are two mating types (I and II), each type excreting a specific pheromone (termed gamone 1 and gamone 2, respectively). When sexually mature mating-type I cells are moderately starved, they autonomously produce and secrete gamone I. Gamone 1 specifically acts on mating-type II cells, transforming them so that they can unite with type I cells, and inducing them to secrete gamone 2. Gamone 2 then transforms type I cells so that they can unite with type II cells. Cells that can unite may then undergo conjugation. Conjugation of opposite mating types promotes outcrossing and the masking of deleterious recessive mutations in the diploid phase of the sexual cycle.

Feeding and behavior

''Blepharisma'' feed on a variety of smaller organisms, including bacteria, flagellate algae,

rotifer The rotifers (, from the Latin , "wheel", and , "bearing"), commonly called wheel animals or wheel animalcules, make up a phylum (Rotifera ) of microscopic and near-microscopic pseudocoelomate animals. They were first described by Rev. John H ...

s, other ciliates and even smaller members of the same species. Experiments with ''Blepharisma undulans'' have shown that cannibalism causes gigantism. When individuals are given a diet of smaller ''Blepharisma'', or certain ciliates (particularly ''

Colpidium colpoda ''Colpidium colpoda'' are free-living ciliates commonly found in many freshwater environments including streams, rivers, lakes and ponds across the world. ''Colpidium colpoda'' is also frequently found inhabiting wastewater treatment plants. This s ...

'' or '' Tetrahymena''), they grow to a relatively enormous size. As long as their diet remains unchanged, cannibal giants will divide to produce more giants. When large prey become unavailable, the offspring will revert to normal size.

Photobiology

''Blepharisma'' are markedly

photophobic Photophobia is a medical symptom of abnormal intolerance to visual perception of light. As a medical symptom photophobia is not a morbid fear or phobia, but an experience of discomfort or pain to the eyes due to light exposure or by presence o ...

, and when light levels are increased will seek out darkened areas. The ability to detect light is accomplished with photosensitive pigment granules located just under the

plasma membrane The cell membrane (also known as the plasma membrane (PM) or cytoplasmic membrane, and historically referred to as the plasmalemma) is a biological membrane that separates and protects the interior of all cells from the outside environment (t ...

of the cell. The pigment in these granules is

, the same substance that gives ''Blepharisma'' their characteristic pinkish color. ''Blepharisma'' are usually pink when collected in nature, but when grown in darkness with abundant food they turn red. Exposure to light or starvation causes them to lose their color, but deeply-pigmented cells can even be killed by strong light.

List of species

Blepharisma hyalinum - 160x - Länge 200µ (10388446276)

* '' B. americanum'' Suzuki, 1954 * '' B. bimicronucleatum'' Villeneuve-Brachon 1940 * '' B. bothrostoma'' Mermod 1914 * '' B. botezati'' Lepsi, 1926 * '' B. coeruleum'' Gajevskaja, 1927 * '' B. caudatus'' Dumas 1937 * '' B. clarissimum'' Kahl, 1928 * '' B. dawsoni'' Christie & Hirshfield 1967 * '' B. dileptus'' Kahl, 1928 * '' B. elegans'' Vuxanovici 1963 * '' B. elongatum'' (Stokes, 1884) Kahl, 1926 * '' B. falcatum'' Gelei 1954 * '' B. galianoi'' Fernandez-Leborans 1979 * '' B. grayi'' Hartwig & Parker, 1977 * '' B. halophila'' Ruinen 1938 ** Found to be a phylogenetic outlier under the

orthographical variant In biology, within the science of scientific nomenclature, i.e. the naming of organisms, an orthographical variant (abbreviated orth. var.) in botany or an orthographic error in zoology, is a spelling mistake, typing mistake or writing mistake with ...

''Blepharisma halophilum''. * '' B. hyalinum'' Perty, 1852 * '' B. intermedium'' Bhandary, 1962 * '' B. ichthyoides'' V. Gelei, 1933 * '' B. japonicum'' (Suzuki, 1954) Giese, 1973 * '' B. lateritium'' (Ehrenberg, 1831) Kahl, 1932 * '' B. lentis Gelei'' 1954 * '' B. melana'' Borror, 1963 * '' B. minima'' Lepsi, 1926 * '' B. multinucleata'' Dragesco, 1960 * '' B. musculus'' Penard, 1922 * '' B. ovalis'' Dumas 1937 * '' B. ovatum'' Penard, 1922 * '' B. parasalinarum'' Dragesco 1997 * '' B. persicinum'' Perty, 1849 * '' B. salinarum'' Florentin, 1899 * '' B. seshachari'' Bhandary, 1962 * '' B. sphagni'' Lepsi, 1926 * '' B. steini'' Kahl, 1932 * '' B. tardum'' Kahl, 1928 * '' B. undulans'' Stein, 1868 * '' B. velatum'' Vacelet, 1961 * '' B. vestitum'' Kahl, 1928 * '' B. violaceae'' Tucolesco 1962 * '' B. vitreum'' Lepsi 1957 * '' B. wardsi'' Hirshfield, Isquith & Bhandary, 1965

Appearance

Reproduction and sexual phenomena

Feeding and behavior

Photobiology

List of species

References

Further reading