This article is about the protozoan phylum Ciliophora. For the type of ciliate cells in general, see Ciliate cells. For the type of leaf margin, see Glossary of leaf morphology § Edge.
Taxon of protozoans with hair-like organelles called cilia
Ciliate
Temporal range: Ediacaran–Recent
PreꞒ
Ꞓ
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
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Some examples of ciliate diversity. Clockwise from top left: Lacrymaria, Coleps, Stentor, Dileptus, Paramecium
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Clade:
Diaphoretickes
Clade:
TSAR
Clade:
SAR
Clade:
Alveolata
Phylum:
Ciliophora Doflein, 1901 emend.
Subphyla and classes[1]
Postciliodesmatophora
Heterotrichea
Karyorelictea
Intramacronucleata
Armophorea
Litostomatea
Colpodea
Nassophorea
Phyllopharyngea
Prostomatea
Plagiopylea
Oligohymenophorea
Protocruziea
Spirotrichea
Cariacotrichea
Muranotrichea
Parablepharismea
See text for subclasses.
Synonyms
Ciliata Perty, 1852
The ciliates are a group of alveolates characterized by the presence of hair-like organelles called cilia, which are identical in structure to eukaryotic flagella, but are in general shorter and present in much larger numbers, with a different undulating pattern than flagella. Cilia occur in all members of the group (although the peculiar Suctoria only have them for part of their life cycle) and are variously used in swimming, crawling, attachment, feeding, and sensation.
Ciliates are an important group of protists, common almost anywhere there is water—in lakes, ponds, oceans, rivers, and soils, including anoxic and oxygen-depleted habitats.[2] About 4,500 unique free-living species have been described, and the potential number of extant species is estimated at 27,000–40,000.[3] Included in this number are many ectosymbiotic and endosymbiotic species, as well as some obligate and opportunistic parasites. Ciliate species range in size from as little as 10 μm in some colpodeans to as much as 4 mm in length in some geleiids, and include some of the most morphologically complex protozoans.[4][5]
In most systems of taxonomy, "Ciliophora" is ranked as a phylum[6] under any of several kingdoms, including Chromista,[7] Protista[8] or Protozoa.[9] In some older systems of classification, such as the influential taxonomic works of Alfred Kahl, ciliated protozoa are placed within the class "Ciliata"[10][11] (a term which can also refer to a genus of fish). In the taxonomic scheme endorsed by the International Society of Protistologists, which eliminates formal rank designations such as "phylum" and "class", "Ciliophora" is an unranked taxon within Alveolata.[12][13]
^Gao, Feng; Warren, Alan; Zhang, Qianqian; Gong, Jun; Miao, Miao; Sun, Ping; Xu, Dapeng; Huang, Jie; Yi, Zhenzhen (2016-04-29). "The All-Data-Based Evolutionary Hypothesis of Ciliated Protists with a Revised Classification of the Phylum Ciliophora (Eukaryota, Alveolata)". Scientific Reports. 6: 24874. Bibcode:2016NatSR...624874G. doi:10.1038/srep24874. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 4850378. PMID 27126745.
^Rotterová, J.; Edgcomb, V. P.; Čepička, I.; Beinart, R. (2022). "Anaerobic ciliates as a model group for studying symbioses in oxygen-depleted environments". The Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology. 69 (5): e12912. doi:10.1111/jeu.12912. PMID 35325496. S2CID 247677842.
^Foissner, W.; Hawksworth, David, eds. (2009). Protist Diversity and Geographical Distribution. Topics in Biodiversity and Conservation. Vol. 8. Springer Netherlands. p. 111. doi:10.1007/978-90-481-2801-3. ISBN 9789048128006.
^Nielsen, Torkel Gissel; Kiørboe, Thomas (1994). "Regulation of zooplankton biomass and production in a temperate, coastal ecosystem. 2. Ciliates". Limnology and Oceanography. 39 (3): 508–519. Bibcode:1994LimOc..39..508N. doi:10.4319/lo.1994.39.3.0508.
^Lynn, Denis (2008). The Ciliated Protozoa 3rd Edition. Springer. pp. 129. ISBN 978-1-4020-8238-2.
^"ITIS Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
^Cavalier-Smith, Thomas (2018-01-01). "Kingdom Chromista and its eight phyla: a new synthesis emphasising periplastid protein targeting, cytoskeletal and periplastid evolution, and ancient divergences". Protoplasma. 255 (1): 297–357. doi:10.1007/s00709-017-1147-3. ISSN 1615-6102. PMC 5756292. PMID 28875267.
^Yi Z, Song W, Clamp JC, Chen Z, Gao S, Zhang Q (December 2008). "Reconsideration of systematic relationships within the order Euplotida (Protista, Ciliophora) using new sequences of the gene coding for small-subunit rRNA and testing the use of combined data sets to construct phylogenies of the Diophrys-complex". Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 50 (3): 599–607. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.12.006. PMID 19121402.
^Miao M, Song W, Chen Z, et al. (2007). "A unique euplotid ciliate, Gastrocirrhus (Protozoa, Ciliophora): assessment of its phylogenetic position inferred from the small subunit rRNA gene sequence". J. Eukaryot. Microbiol. 54 (4): 371–8. doi:10.1111/j.1550-7408.2007.00271.x. PMID 17669163. S2CID 25977768.
^Alfred Kahl (1930). Urtiere oder Protozoa I: Wimpertiere oder Ciliata -- Volume I General Section And Prostomata.
^"Medical Definition of CILIATA". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2017-12-22.
^Adl, Sina M.; Bass, David; Lane, Christopher E.; Lukeš, Julius; Schoch, Conrad L.; Smirnov, Alexey; Agatha, Sabine; Berney, Cedric; Brown, Matthew W.; Burki, Fabien; Cárdenas, Paco (2019). "Revisions to the Classification, Nomenclature, and Diversity of Eukaryotes". Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology. 66 (1): 4–119. doi:10.1111/jeu.12691. ISSN 1550-7408. PMC 6492006. PMID 30257078.
^Adl, Sina M.; et al. (2005). "The new higher level classification of eukaryotes with emphasis on the taxonomy of protists". Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology. 52 (5): 399–451. doi:10.1111/j.1550-7408.2005.00053.x. PMID 16248873.
The ciliates are a group of alveolates characterized by the presence of hair-like organelles called cilia, which are identical in structure to eukaryotic...
epithelium is further divided into two categories: ciliated and non-ciliated (glandular). The ciliated part of the simple columnar epithelium has tiny hairs...
egg cell from the ovary to the uterus. In the ventricles of the brain ciliated ependymal cells circulate the cerebrospinal fluid. The functioning of motile...
pseudostratified ciliated epithelium, since stratified epithelia do not have cilia. Ciliated epithelia are more common and lines the trachea, bronchi. Non-ciliated epithelia...
zoologist C. T. von Siebold proposed that the bodies of protozoa such as ciliates and amoebae consisted of single cells, similar to those from which the...
name) is a genus of eukaryotic, unicellular ciliates, commonly studied as a model organism of the ciliate group. Paramecium are widespread in freshwater...
Ciliophora, or ciliates, are a group of protists that utilize cilia for locomotion. Examples include Paramecium, Stentors, and Vorticella. Ciliates are widely...
to be caused by a fungus called Fusarium solani or a similarly shaped ciliate. Human consumption of fish affected by black gill disease is harmless....
Telomerase RNAs differ greatly in sequence and structure between vertebrates, ciliates and yeasts, but they share a 5' pseudoknot structure close to the template...
Georg A. Goldfuss coined the word protozoa to refer to organisms such as ciliates, and this group was expanded until Ernst Haeckel made it a kingdom encompassing...
metazoans evolved from a unicellular ciliate with multiple nuclei that went through cellularization. Firstly, the ciliate developed a ventral mouth for feeding...
(sebum), enzyme, digestive juices, sweat, etc. Some epithelial cells are ciliated, especially in respiratory epithelium, and they commonly exist as a sheet...
Anthene locuples, the curious ciliate blue, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Ghana, Nigeria (west and the Cross River loop), Cameroon...
Didinium is a genus of unicellular ciliates with at least ten accepted species. All are free-living carnivores. Most are found in fresh and brackish water...
Anthene coerulea, the mauve ciliate blue, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in eastern Nigeria and western Cameroon. Wikimedia Commons...
diploid cell, which can then undergo mitosis. The term was first used for ciliate protozoans such as Tetrahymena. This has two types of cell nuclei, a large...
Cupidesthes pungusei, the Punguse's ciliate blue, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Ghana and possibly Sierra Leone and Cameroon...
hairs, or thickly covered on both surfaces, with the margins ciliate (hairy), or just ciliate at the base. Both growth low to the ground and leaf hairiness...
Anthene lemnos, the large ciliate blue or large hairtail, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in southern Africa. The wingspan is 27–30 mm...
Anthene inconspicua, the inconspicuous ciliate blue, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. The species was first described by Hamilton Herbert Druce...
Anthene leptines, or Leptines ciliate blue, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Cross River loop in Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the...