Contractile vacuole in the opisthe of a dividing cell. This is presumably the mature CV of the original “mother” cell. Spongiome tubules form large regions of additional membrane on two sides of t...

A high resolution, longitudinal section through one toxicyst and one bundle of microtubules (nematodesma) of the oral area of Didinium involved in the killing and ingesting of large prey. Didinium spe...

A high resolution image of toxicysts in the cytoplasm of cross sectioned non-dividing Didinium. Toxicysts (extrusomes) are multilayered cylinders that are discharged from the cytopharynx region during...

A cross section of the probosis oral apparatus of Didinium showing the organization, distribution of toxicysts, and the ribbons of microtubules that support the ingestion of large prey. Further detail...

Didinium intiates capture of Paramecium. Believe-it-or-not, this Didinium may accomplish the ingestion of the Paramecium in less than one minute. See other images in the link below. Also showing metac...

Didinium ingests Paramecium. Note that Paramecium is nearly the waiting food vacuole and the proboscis of Didinium is beginning to reform. This micrograph also shows the metachronous waves of cilia in...

Didinium ingests Paramecium. Note that Paramecium is folded in half as it is compressed and enters the waiting food vacuole. This micrograph also shows a few discharged Paramecium trichocysts as well ...

The division furrow of a dividing Didinium. A thick layer of epiplasm coated on the cytosolic side by mitochondria forms the constricting ring in the furrow. As usual mucocysts lie between the epiplas...

Didinium ingests Paramecium. At the midpoint of engulfment, some 30 seconds after contact. This micrograph was taken in 1968 by G. Antipa on a Cambridge Mark IIA operating at 20kV. The negative magnif...

A high resolution image of the cortex of Didinium nasutum. Embedded within the fibrous layer are many extrusive organelles, called mucocysts, involved in cyst formation. In this view there is also a l...