Paramecium showing formation of food vacuoles. Ref: parcap01
Click to return to movie.
Click to return to Paramecium: Main page.

A cavity containing food particles forms at the end of the
buccal (mouth) funnel due to the action of the oral cilia.
Upon reaching a certain size, it pinches off and begins
a well-defined path around the cell interior during which
digestion takes place. Undigested particles are voided by
discharge of the vacuole via an "anal pore" in the pellicle
towards the end of the Paramecium's body.

    This image is free for non-profit use.
Commercial end-users should email Micrographia for rights to high-resolution images
suitable for publication and broadcast.  Include picture caption in email message space.