Tetrahymena

Tetrahymena is a genus of free-living ciliates that can be found in a variety of aquatic environments. The genus contains around forty species, but the exact number is not certain as the group is not well-studied. Tetrahymena species are used as model organisms in biomedical research. They are particularly important in the study of the function of cilia and the process of phagocytosis.

Characteristics

Tetrahymena cells are pear-shaped and are covered with cilia. They have two types of nuclei: a large macronucleus and one or more small micronuclei. The macronucleus controls the non-reproductive cell functions, while the micronucleus is responsible for genetic recombination during sexual reproduction.

Reproduction

Tetrahymena reproduce both sexually and asexually. In sexual reproduction, two cells of different mating types fuse together and exchange micronuclei. In asexual reproduction, the macronucleus divides and the cell splits in two.

Use in research

Tetrahymena are used in research because they are easy to grow in the laboratory and have a number of features that make them useful for studying basic biological processes. For example, they were used in the discovery of telomeres and telomerase, for which the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded.

See also

• Ciliate
• Model organism
• Phagocytosis

External links

• Tetrahymena Genome Database

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