Detection of Food: Paramecia are single-celled organisms equipped with hair-like structures called cilia that cover their entire surface. These cilia beat rhythmically, allowing the paramecium to move and helping it detect changes in its environment, including the presence of food particles.
Movement Toward Food: When a paramecium detects food particles nearby, it alters the direction of its ciliary movement, propelling itself toward the food source.
Encounter with Food: Once the paramecium reaches the food particle, it extends its cell membrane around the particle, forming a temporary cavity known as a food vacuole.
Phagocytosis: Phagocytosis is the process by which the paramecium engulfs the food particle. The cell membrane invaginates (folds inward) around the food particle, enclosing it within a food vacuole.
Digestion: Once the food particle is trapped within the food vacuole, the paramecium secretes enzymes into the vacuole to digest the food. These enzymes break down the food particle into simpler molecules that can be absorbed and used by the cell for energy and other metabolic processes.
Absorption of Nutrients: After digestion, the nutrients released from the food particle diffuse across the membrane of the food vacuole and into the cytoplasm of the paramecium.
Egestion of Waste: Any undigested or indigestible material remaining in the food vacuole is expelled from the cell through a process called exocytosis.
Overall, phagocytosis is a vital process for paramecia to obtain nutrients from their environment and sustain their cellular functions.
