How many flagella does euglena have

The pellicle strips arrows look wavy, with ridges and grooves; as a result, giving pellicle striated appearance under a light microscope.

The arrowhead points toward a pellicle pore where the biogenic lubricant, the mucus M , is secreted. Photo credit: Gruenberger C. Flagellum plural: flagella is a long whip-like structure at the front of the euglena cells. Typically, euglena has two flagella. One is long and can be seen under a light microscope, but the other is very short without protruding from the cells. The function of flagella is to help euglena swim. Structurally, cilia and flagella are indistinguishable.

They both possess a central bundle of microtubules, called axoneme. There are motor proteins, called dynein, attached to Tubule A, one of the doublet.

Microtubules are held together by cross-linking proteins. Each doublet is connected by Nexin protein. Photo credit: modified from LadyofHats on wiki. Euglena has a bright red eyespot, also called stigma.

It is made up of carotenoid pigment granules. The eyespot is not an actual eye; instead, it is more like a sunglass for a photoreceptor. The eyespot filters the sunlight and allows certain wavelengths of light to reach photoreceptors also called paraflagellar body.

Therefore, the eyespot can tell the euglena where the light source comes from. Paraflagellar body also called photoreceptor is a swelling structure at the base of the flagellum that is photosensitive. It is the photoreceptor that senses light.

Paraflagellar body, together with an eyespot, is located close to the flagella; thus their proximity promotes light-guided directional movement. Euglena also has chloroplasts throughout its body. Its chloroplasts contain chlorophyll a and b to produce sugar by photosynthesis; therefore, euglena can survive with light without eating. Euglena chloroplasts contain pyrenoids , a subcellular compartment inside chloroplasts.

Euglena are unicellular organisms classified into the Kingdom Protista, and the Phylum Euglenophyta. All euglena have chloroplasts and can make their own food by photosynthesis. They are not completely autotrophic though, euglena can also absorb food from their environment; euglena usually live in quiet ponds or puddles. The flagellum is located on the anterior front end, and twirls in such a way as to pull the cell through the water.

It is attached at an inward pocket called the reservoir. Color the reservoir grey and the flagellum black. The Euglena is unique in that it is both heterotrophic must consume food and autotrophic can make its own food. Chloroplasts within the euglena trap sunlight that is used for photosynthesis, and can be seen as several rod like structures throughout the cell.

In addition to photosynthetic euglenids, another major group of non-photosynthetic Euglena known as kinetoplastids are included in the Euglenozoa phylum. These organisms are parasites that can cause serious blood and tissue diseases in humans, such as African sleeping sickness and leishmaniasis disfiguring skin infection.

Both of these diseases are transmitted to humans by biting flies. Common features of photosynthetic Euglena cell anatomy include a nucleus, contractile vacuole, mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum, and typically two flagella one short and one long.

Unique characteristics of these cells include a flexible outer membrane called a pellicle that supports the plasma membrane. Some euglenoids also have an eyespot and a photoreceptor, which aid in the detection of light. Structures found in a typical photosynthetic Euglena cell include:. Some species of Euglena possess organelles that can be found in both plant and animal cells.

Euglena viridis and Euglena gracilis are examples of Euglena that contain chloroplasts as do plants. They also have flagella and do not have a cell wall , which are typical characteristics of animal cells.

Most species of Euglena have no chloroplasts and must ingest food by phagocytosis. These organisms engulf and feed on other unicellular organisms in their surroundings such as bacteria and algae.

Most Euglena have a life cycle consisting of a free-swimming stage and a non-motile stage. In the free-swimming stage, Euglena reproduce rapidly by a type of asexual reproduction method known as binary fission. The euglenoid cell reproduces its organelles by mitosis and then splits longitudinally into two daughter cells. When environmental conditions become unfavorable and too difficult for Euglena to survive, they can enclose themselves within a thick-walled protective cyst.

Protective cyst formation is characteristic of the non-motile stage. In unfavorable conditions, some euglenids can also form reproductive cysts in what is known as the palmelloid stage of their life cycle. In the palmelloid stage, Euglena gather together discarding their flagella and become enveloped in a gelatinous, gummy substance. Individual euglenids form reproductive cysts in which binary fission occurs producing many 32 or more daughter cells.

When environmental conditions once again become favorable, these new daughter cells become flagellated and are released from the gelatinous mass.

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