Paramecium niche – student activity

Paramecium
The following diagram shows the structure of the unicellular protozoan Paramecium.

Watch the “Paramecium tutorial” video and describe the function of each of the parts.

Part of the Paramecium Function

Cilia
Oral groove
Food vacuoles
Anal pore
Contractile vacuoles

Using the food web shown answer the following questions:

1. Deduce, explaining your reasoning, which species are predators of Paramecium.

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 Paramecium niche – student activity

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2. Identify the prey of paramecium.

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3. Suggest an abiotic factor which might be important for the growth of Paramecium and it’s prey.

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More advanced questions

In 1917 the well-known animal ecologist Joseph Grinnell defined the niche of an animal as its
place in the biological environment and its interactions with food and enemies. He said that the
term “niche” encompassed everything that conditioned the existence of a species at a given
location, including abiotic factors such as temperature, humidity, rainfall and biotic factors such
as the presence of food, competitors, predators, shelters.

4. Suggest, with a reason, how the factors mentioned might affect the growth of Paramecium?

Factors Effect on Paramecium

Temperature
Humidity
Rainfall
Food
Competitors
Predators

5. Suggest how the presence of shelters might increase the population of Paramecium.

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 Paramecium niche – student activity

Structural adaptations, responses and behaviour

Odum (1959) defined the ecological niche as "the position or status of an organism which its
community and ecosystem resulting from the organism's structural adaptations, physiological
responses, and specific behaviour." He emphasized that "the ecological niche of an organism
depends not only on where it lives but also on what it does."

6. Try to describe the ecological niche of Paramecium with respect to the terms used by Odum,

Status in the community:

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Structural adaptations:

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Behaviour:

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