Pellicle (biology)

Pellicle (biology)

The pellicle is a thin layer supporting the cell membrane in various protozoa, protecting them and allowing them to retain their shape. They vary from flexible and elastic to rigid. Although stiff, the pellicle is flexible and allows the protist to fit into tighter spaces. In ciliates and Apicomplexa, it is formed from closely packed vesicles called alveoli. In euglenids, it is formed from protein strips arranged spirally along the length of the body. Examples of protists with a pellicle are the euglenoids and the paramecium, a ciliate.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Pellicle — may refer to:*Pellicle (mycology), the outermost layer of a mushroom; often used only for a surface that is viscid and easily peels. *Pellicle (biology), a thin layer supporting the cell membrane in various protozoa *Pellicle mirror, a thin… …   Wikipedia

  • Plasmodium falciparum biology — Taxobox color = khaki name = Plasmodium falciparum image width = 240px image caption = Blood smear of Plasmodium falciparum regnum = Protista phylum = Apicomplexa classis = Aconoidasida ordo = Haemosporida familia = Plasmodiidae genus =… …   Wikipedia

  • protist — protistan /proh tis teuhn/, adj., n. protistic, adj. /proh tist/, n. any of various one celled organisms, classified in the kingdom Protista, that are either free living or aggregated into simple colonies and that have diverse reproductive and… …   Universalium

  • Mycena galopus — Scientific classification Kingdom: F …   Wikipedia

  • Plasmodium — This article is about the malaria parasite. For plasmodial slime molds, see Slime mold. Plasmodium Scientific classification Domain: Eukaryota …   Wikipedia

  • Dental plaque — Inadequate removal of plaque caused a build up of calculus (dark yellow color) near the gums on almost all the teeth. Dental plaque is a biofilm, usually a pale yellow, that develops naturally on the teeth. Like any biofilm, dental plaque is… …   Wikipedia

  • Tooth enamel — Labeled molar Latin enamelum Code TA …   Wikipedia

  • Tooth development — Radiograph of lower right (from left to right) third, second, and first molars in different stages of development. Tooth development or odontogenesis is the complex process by which teeth form from embryonic cells, grow, and erupt into the mouth …   Wikipedia

  • Développement dentaire — Radiographie d une mâchoire inférieure droite humaine. On distingue, de gauche à droite, la troisième, la seconde et la première molaires à différents stades de développement. Le développement dentaire ou odontogenèse est le processus complexe… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Apicomplexa — Taxobox name = Apicomplexa |Plasmodium domain = Eukaryota regnum = Chromalveolata superphylum = Alveolata phylum = Apicomplexa subdivision ranks = Classes Subclasses subdivision = Aconoidasida *Haemosporasina *PiroplasmasinaBlastocystea… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”