Paramecium Model

Intracellular Organelle Mapping: Features a precision-molded longitudinal section revealing the pellicle, macronucleus, micronucleus, and the radiating canals of the contractile vacuoles for granular physiological study.

Specialized Oral Apparatus Detail: Illustrates the integrated oral groove and cytostome structures, mounted on a reinforced, chemical-resistant polymer baseboard to ensure stability during high-frequency tactile examination and laboratory use.

₹600.00

Quick Answer: The paramecium model is an enlarged representation of Paramecium, the slipper-shaped ciliate protozoan found in freshwater ponds. A paramecium model shows the cilia, oral groove, two kinds of nucleus and star-shaped contractile vacuoles that students struggle to see in a live, fast-moving specimen.

Parts of the Slipper Animalcule

Paramecium caudatum is covered by a firm, flexible pellicle from which thousands of short cilia project in rows. Their coordinated beating drives the cell forward in a spiral path and can reverse it. A depression on one side, the oral groove, leads to the cytostome, or cell mouth, where cilia sweep bacteria into forming food vacuoles. Undigested waste leaves through a fixed spot, the cytopyge or anal pore.

Beneath the pellicle, spindle-shaped trichocysts can discharge threads, probably for defence. Two contractile vacuoles, one near each end, are surrounded by radiating canals that give them a star-like look as they fill and empty to remove excess water. There are two kinds of nucleus: a large, bean-shaped macronucleus that controls everyday metabolism and a small micronucleus involved in sexual reproduction.

This listing does not specify the model’s size, base or whether it is sectioned. Alongside the amoeba model and the euglena model in the same range, it completes a set for comparing three protists.

Protozoology Lessons

Teaching locomotion by cilia and comparing it with pseudopodia and flagella
Osmoregulation by contractile vacuoles in freshwater organisms
Binary fission and conjugation in ciliates
Guiding students to find Paramecium in hay infusion cultures under the microscope

Specifications

Organism	Paramecium (e.g. Paramecium caudatum), ciliate protozoan
Structures usually shown	Pellicle, cilia, oral groove, cytostome, food vacuoles, contractile vacuoles with radiating canals, trichocysts, macronucleus, micronucleus
Movement	By cilia, in a spiral path
Level	Secondary and undergraduate zoology
Size, base and sectioning	Confirm at enquiry

Care & Handling

Hold the paramecium model by its body or base; modelled cilia and other projecting parts are easily damaged.
Clear dust off with a clean, dry paintbrush; water can loosen paint on the organelles.
Store it covered, away from sunlight.

Why Choose LabEquip

Zoology and biology teachers often ask for the three classic protists together, and the paramecium is usually the one with the most parts to label. It is part of LabEquip’s biology lab products, while the paramecium biology chart suits revision. Contact LabEquip through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Paramecium called the slipper animalcule?

Its body is elongated with a rounded front end and a more pointed rear, and the oral groove makes one side look flattened, so under the microscope it resembles the sole of a slipper.

Why does Paramecium have two nuclei?

The large macronucleus contains many copies of the working genes and controls metabolism and growth. The small micronucleus holds the germline DNA and takes part in conjugation, the sexual process, after which a new macronucleus is formed.

What is conjugation?

Two paramecia join at their oral grooves and exchange haploid micronuclei produced by meiosis. Each then forms a new micronucleus and macronucleus, so conjugation reshuffles genes without directly producing extra cells.

What is the avoiding reaction?

When a paramecium bumps into an obstacle or meets an unfavourable chemical, it reverses its cilia, backs away, turns slightly and moves forward again. This trial-and-error behaviour is easy to watch in a drop of culture.

How can students culture Paramecium?

Boil some hay or dry grass in pond water, let it cool and stand for one to two weeks in a warm place. Bacteria multiply first, then protozoa including Paramecium, which appear as fast-moving specks near the surface.

How does Paramecium differ from Amoeba?

Paramecium has a fixed shape maintained by its pellicle, moves with cilia, feeds through an oral groove and has two kinds of nucleus. Amoeba has no fixed shape, moves and feeds with pseudopodia and has a single nucleus.

Last Updated: September 2026