Prepared by: Cikgu Ong

Comparison between Paramecium sp and Amoeba sp

Amoeba sp Paramecium sp

Habitat Fresh water ponds, wet soil, also as parasites Fresh water, in decaying organic matter

General

Features

1. Irregular shapes, diameter 0.1 mm,

2. It cell membrane, consist an outer ectoplasm

and an inner endoplasm

3. Other cellular structures: nucleus, food

vacuoles, and contractile vacuole

1. Its has a slipper-like shape, length = 0.3 mm

2. Outer surface covered by cilia

3. large macronucleus, micronucleus, food

vacuole and contractile vacuoles

4. On the side an oral groove leeds to the gullet

and ends with a cytostome.

Locomotion

1. It moves by flowing its cytoplasm forward,

forming a pseudopodium that helps it to move

forward slowly.

2. A pseudopodium is a “false foot”.

3. This is also known as amoeboid movement.

1. It uses its cilia to beat against the water,

enabling it to swim.

2. To swim forward, it beats its cilia backwards

diagonally; to swim backwards, it beats its

cilia forward.

Feeding

1. An Amoeba sp. eats algae, bacteria, plant

cells, and other microscopic organisms.

2. It feeds by phagocytosis

(a) pseudopodia formed

(b) food engulfed by pseudopodia

(c) food vacuole formed and is digested

(d) waste eliminated

1. First, the sweeping movement of cilia moves

the food along the oral groove into the gullet

and cytostome where a food vacuole forms,

and pinches off.

2. The food vacuole circulates round the cell

while the food is being digested.

3. Finally, any undigested food is eliminated at

the anal pore.

Reproduction

1. An Amoeba sp. Reproduces asexually by ;

binary fission and formation of spores.

2. Binary fission – take place (in favorable

conditions and sufficient food supply) by

mitotic division of a single parent cell.

3. Formation of spores; take place when the

conditions are dry and insufficient food.

These spores germinate into Amoeba sp.

againts under favorable environmental

condition.

1. Under favourable condition, Paramecium sp.

reproduces asexually by binary fission.

2. Under unfavourable environmental

conditions, two Paramecia reproduce sexually

by conjugation.

Sensitivity

(external

stimuli)

Sensitive to touch, change in light, temperature

and chemical

Cillia detects the change of chemical, oxygen,

carbon dioxide, light, touch and temp .

Growth

1. Both use amino acids to synthesize their protoplasm.

2. Maximum growth size of a unicellular organism limited by the body surface/volume ratio

3. If the size to large, the ratio becomes to small for the efficient diffusion of gases and materials to

happen to sustain life.

Respiration

1. Exchange of gases take places throughout the whole cell membrane.

2. Oxygen dioxide diffuse down to concentration gradient of oxygen ( from higher to lower

concentration of oxygen to lower concentration of oxygen)

3. Carbon dioxide diffuses from the cell into the environment, down to concentration gradient of

carbon dioxide.

Excretion Nitrogenous wastes and carbon dioxide expelled to environment by diffusion.

Osmoregulation

1. Water move into Amoeba and Paramecium by osmosis

2. To prevent animal from bursting the contractile vacuole collects all the excess water. When full, it

expels the water outside the cell