The document compares the characteristics of Amoeba sp and Paramecium sp. Amoeba sp are irregularly shaped and move via pseudopodia, while Paramecium sp have a slipper-like shape and swim using cilia. Both feed via phagocytosis, with Amoeba sp engulfing food with pseudopodia and Paramecium sp sweeping food into its gullet via cilia. Both primarily reproduce asexually through binary fission, though Paramecium sp can also reproduce sexually through conjugation under unfavorable conditions.

1. Prepared by: Cikgu Ong
Comparison between Paramecium sp and Amoeba sp
Amoeba sp Paramecium sp
Habitat Fresh water ponds, wet soil, also as parasites Fresh water, in decaying organic matter
General
Features
1. Irregular shapes, diameter 0.1 mm,
2. It cell membrane, consist an outer ectoplasm
and an inner endoplasm
3. Other cellular structures: nucleus, food
vacuoles, and contractile vacuole
1. Its has a slipper-like shape, length = 0.3 mm
2. Outer surface covered by cilia
3. large macronucleus, micronucleus, food
vacuole and contractile vacuoles
4. On the side an oral groove leeds to the gullet
and ends with a cytostome.
Locomotion
1. It moves by flowing its cytoplasm forward,
forming a pseudopodium that helps it to move
forward slowly.
2. A pseudopodium is a “false foot”.
3. This is also known as amoeboid movement.
1. It uses its cilia to beat against the water,
enabling it to swim.
2. To swim forward, it beats its cilia backwards
diagonally; to swim backwards, it beats its
cilia forward.
Feeding
1. An Amoeba sp. eats algae, bacteria, plant
cells, and other microscopic organisms.
2. It feeds by phagocytosis
(a) pseudopodia formed
(b) food engulfed by pseudopodia
(c) food vacuole formed and is digested
(d) waste eliminated
1. First, the sweeping movement of cilia moves
the food along the oral groove into the gullet
and cytostome where a food vacuole forms,
and pinches off.
2. The food vacuole circulates round the cell
while the food is being digested.
3. Finally, any undigested food is eliminated at
the anal pore.
Reproduction
1. An Amoeba sp. Reproduces asexually by ;
binary fission and formation of spores.
2. Binary fission – take place (in favorable
conditions and sufficient food supply) by
mitotic division of a single parent cell.
3. Formation of spores; take place when the
conditions are dry and insufficient food.
These spores germinate into Amoeba sp.
againts under favorable environmental
condition.
1. Under favourable condition, Paramecium sp.
reproduces asexually by binary fission.
2. Under unfavourable environmental
conditions, two Paramecia reproduce sexually
by conjugation.
Sensitivity
(external
stimuli)
Sensitive to touch, change in light, temperature
and chemical
Cillia detects the change of chemical, oxygen,
carbon dioxide, light, touch and temp .
Growth
1. Both use amino acids to synthesize their protoplasm.
2. Maximum growth size of a unicellular organism limited by the body surface/volume ratio
3. If the size to large, the ratio becomes to small for the efficient diffusion of gases and materials to
happen to sustain life.
Respiration
1. Exchange of gases take places throughout the whole cell membrane.
2. Oxygen dioxide diffuse down to concentration gradient of oxygen ( from higher to lower
concentration of oxygen to lower concentration of oxygen)
3. Carbon dioxide diffuses from the cell into the environment, down to concentration gradient of
carbon dioxide.
Excretion Nitrogenous wastes and carbon dioxide expelled to environment by diffusion.
Osmoregulation
1. Water move into Amoeba and Paramecium by osmosis
2. To prevent animal from bursting the contractile vacuole collects all the excess water. When full, it
expels the water outside the cell