Paramecium is also sensitive to changes in the environment such as temperature, light, chemicals, as well as touch. Under unfavorable conditions, paramecium reproduces sexually by conjugation. Paramecium asexually reproduces by binary fission under favorable conditions. The ingested food is digested inside a vacuole and the wastes are eliminated through the anal pore. The cilia are also involved in feeding by moving food into the gullet. The forward movement is achieved by the backward beats of cilia and the backward movement is achieved by the forward beats of cilia. The swim-like locomotion occurs by the beatings of cilia in water. An oral groove is found on one side of the organism, which forms the gullet, ending with a cytostome. A paramecium cell contains a large macronucleus and a micronucleus with food vacuole and contractile vacuoles. The outer surface of the paramecium is covered by cilia. It has a slipper-like shape with a length of 0.3 mm. Paramecium is another unicellular eukaryote, which lives in fresh water and decaying organic matter. The engulfed food is digested inside a vacuole in the body and wastes are eliminated by exocytosis. The process of feeding is referred to as phagocytosis in which pseudopodia is formed to engulf the food particle. Typically, amoeba eats bacteria, algae, plant cells, and other microscopic organisms. This movement is referred to as amoeboid movement. The pseudopodium is also called a false foot. The formation of pseudopodium allows amoeba to move slowly. The propagation of amoeba occurs by forwarding its cytoplasm. Amoeba cell contains a membrane-bound nucleus, food vacuoles and contractile vacuoles in its single-celled body. The cell membrane of the amoeba comprises an outer and an inner endoplasm. Amoeba is irregular in shape and has a diameter of 0.1 mm. It also lives as a parasite inside animal bodies. Key Terms: Amoeba, Amoeba Cell, Amoeboid Movement, Binary Fission, Cilia, Paramecium, Paramecium Cell, Phagocytosis, Pseudopodium, Unicellular Eukaryotes What is AmoebaĪmoeba is a unicellular eukaryote living in fresh water ponds and wet soil. What is the Difference Between Amoeba and Paramecium What are the Similarities Between Amoeba and ParameciumĤ. The main difference between amoeba and paramecium is that amoeba moves by pseudopodia while paramecium moves with the use of thin, hair-like structures called cilia. There are many similarities between amoeba and paramecium however, there are also some notable differences between them.
Both amoeba and paramecium are heterotrophs, which exhibit unique feeding mechanisms. Amoeba and paramecium are single-celled eukaryotes which belong to the Kingdom Protista.