Abstract: This chapter discusses methods in Paramecium research. Paramecium and other eukaryotic unicells occupy a strategically important level of biological structure and function between the levels of prokaryotic and multicellular organisms. Paramecium possesses many attractive research features, some of them are (1) it is readily obtainable from nature, from commercial sources, and from investigators. (2) It is readily cultivated in isolation by methods varying from the simplest and crudest to fully defined axenic culture, and several others. Methods used in research on the general biology and genetics of P. aurelia were set forth by Sonneborn. This chapter updates the summary and extends it to all species of Paramecium. Paramecium caudatum, P. multimicronucleatum, P. aurelia, and P. bursaria occur commonly, and P. trichium and P. polycaryum less commonly, in still and moving fresh-water. For ecological and other studies that require sampling of natural sources Hairston and Kellerman exploited the long-known fact that paramecia swim toward the cathode in a weak electric current. The results of genetic work on higher organisms led to the concept of the gene that made possible the successful attack on the molecular genetics of bacteria and viruses.
Publication Year: 1970
Publication Date: 1970-01-01
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 252
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