PERITRICHIDA Meaning and
Definition
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Peritrichida refers to a diverse and prominent order of ciliate protozoans, commonly found in aquatic environments. Ciliates are a type of microbial eukaryotes characterized by the presence of short hair-like structures called cilia that cover their surface. The order Peritrichida specifically includes ciliates that possess a ring of long, flexible cilia or tentacles (known as peristome) around their anterior region, which is used for feeding. These peristomial cilia are responsible for capturing food particles, such as bacteria and other tiny organisms, from the surrounding water, allowing peritrichs to actively engage in filter-feeding.
Members of the order Peritrichida exhibit a wide range of morphological characteristics, including a typically elongated body shape with a stalk or holdfast region for attachment to various substrates. These ciliates can attach themselves to diverse surfaces, such as plant material, rocks, or the exoskeletons of aquatic organisms. The attachment mechanism can be either permanent or temporary, depending on the species.
Peritrichida are often found in freshwater ecosystems but can also be found in marine habitats. They play a vital role in aquatic food webs as consumers of bacteria and other microorganisms, contributing to nutrient cycling and overall ecosystem dynamics. Moreover, some peritrichs are known to form symbiotic relationships with other organisms, such as crustaceans or insects, where they attach to the host and benefit from the food particles brought in by their mobile hosts.
In summary, Peritrichida refers to a taxonomic order of ciliates characterized by a ring of cilia around their anterior region, allowing them to actively filter-feed on small organisms. They are widely distributed in aquatic environments and play important ecological roles in nutrient cycling
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An order of Ciliata of cylindrical shape with the cilia usually limited to the zone surrounding the mouth opening.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for PERITRICHIDA
- peritrichad
- oeritrichida
- leritrichida
- -eritrichida
- 0eritrichida
- pwritrichida
- psritrichida
- pdritrichida
- prritrichida
- p4ritrichida
- p3ritrichida
- peeitrichida
- peditrichida
- pefitrichida
- petitrichida
- pe5itrichida
- pe4itrichida
- perutrichida
- perjtrichida
- perktrichida
Etymology of PERITRICHIDA
The word Peritrichida is derived from several Greek words. The prefix peri- means around or surrounding. The word trichos means hair or filament. The suffix -ida is used in taxonomy to indicate a class or order. In this case, it refers to the taxonomic order of ciliate protozoans that possess cilia all around their bodies. Hence, Peritrichida can be translated as having cilia all around or surrounded by cilia.
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