Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of protozoan characterized by having cilia: A ciliated protozoan is a single-celled organism belonging to the kingdom Protista. Its defining feature is the presence of numerous hair-like organelles called cilia on its cell surface. These cilia are used for locomotion and for creating water currents to direct food particles toward the organism.

Usage and Examples

• Noun:
  • The pond water teemed with various microorganisms, including the fast-moving ciliated protozoan Paramecium.
  • Under the microscope, the ciliated protozoan used its tiny hairs to swim rapidly through the drop of water.

Advanced Usage

• In biological classification: The term is often used in scientific contexts to describe and classify a major group of protozoans (Ciliophora or Ciliata).
  • The ciliate, or ciliated protozoan, exhibits nuclear dualism, possessing both a macronucleus and a micronucleus.

Variants and Related Words

• Ciliate (noun): A common shorthand term for a ciliated protozoan.
  • The ciliate Stentor is known for its trumpet-like shape.
• Cilium (noun, singular): The microscopic, hair-like appendage itself. The plural is cilia.
  • Each cilium beats in a coordinated wave-like pattern.

Synonyms

• Ciliate: The most direct synonym.
• Infusorian: An older, less specific term for various microorganisms found in infusions of decaying organic matter, often including ciliates.

Related Terms and Concepts

• Protozoan (noun): A broader category of single-celled, eukaryotic organisms, which includes ciliated, flagellated, and amoeboid types.
• Flagellate (noun): A different type of protozoan that moves using one or a few long, whip-like structures called flagella, in contrast to the many short cilia.

Noun

1. a protozoan with a microscopic appendage extending from the surface of the cell