division

Description:

Cyclidium (sigh-clid-ee-um) is a small scuticociliate, and is here seen in late division. Ciliates multiply by dividing in two. Ciliates divide across the kineties (i.e. along a line that is parallel to the axis of the flagellar bases), and flagellates divide longitudinally (but for them that also means that the vision is in parallel to the axis of the flagella). The two cells shown here are joined by the tiniest strand of umbilical cytoplasm. Phase contrast.